Dead On
by Im2xshy
Summary: Post Dead in the Family; pre-Dead Reckoning; Sookie's in trouble; Eric will stop at nothing to protect her. Where I think the story can/should go.  I'm horrible at writing summaries; I'm much better at writing stories.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first foray into Southern Vampire/True Blood fic writing. I have written extensively in The West Wing (though its not posted here) fandom and dabbled in Twilight (which is posted here). I have betas over there, but not here in this fandom, so please forgive any obvious display of that small transgression. I think I can bring one of my betas over to the dark side, but at the moment, he's resisting. Also, I typically have a problem sticking with one POV because it gets boring to me, so this story will likely be told from several POVs.**

1.

**~Sookie~**

Merlotte's was busier than I'd ever seen it in the six years I've worked here. Sam, my boss and the bar's owner and possibly my closest friend, had bought two flat screen T.V.s for the bar. The investment seems to have paid for itself in the first football season they were here because Merlotte's has now become _the place_ to watch a sporting event and tonight was Superbowl Sunday.

I've spent most of the evening elbowing my way through the large drunken crowd. Since the additions of the televisions, the younger crowd has increased. Our regulars don't mess with me, but the college students are too drunk and stupid not to know better and I've smacked a lot of hands tonight. In one case, I threw a beer in a boy's face who couldn't take the first hint. Sam escorted him out and only one in his group of friends was loyal enough to leave with him.

_Nice ass._

"Watch your manners!" I snapped at the boy in the booth as I walked by. His mouth dropped open and everyone at his table thought I was nuts. And why shouldn't they? He didn't say it out loud. I heard him in my head. I know better than to respond to people's thoughts, but there's too much going on inside me tonight.

I'd been feeling pretty annoyed tonight.

But that's nothing compared to what my boyfriend/husband was feeling. In the human world, Eric was my boyfriend; but in the vampire world, he was my husband. And that was the least confusing thing about my life. It's a long story, but suffice it to say, my vampire is very sneaky when he wants to be. Especially if he wants me to do something that he knows I would refuse to do under normal circumstances.

Eric had had very strong and very varied emotions that evening and they were getting stronger, which meant he was getting closer to me.

So in addition to being telepathic, I had a blood bond with my husband/boyfriend and could feel absolutely everything he did and let me tell you, vampire emotions are a lot stronger than human emotions.

The closer Eric got, the more jumpy I got. My hands were shaky and it was hard not to react to people with _his_ emotions. Not to mention, it was making me distracted and worried.

At one point, I slammed the register drawer shut and snarled in frustration, then stormed out the back door into the parking lot. Sam was immediately behind me. I breathed the night air in deeply, taking a few deep breaths. What was _wrong _with Eric tonight? I didn't usually call him from work, but I couldn't let the night go on like this.

"Sorry, Sam. I just need a minute to regroup." I apologized. "I'm all right; you can go back in."

"Well, no, I kinda can't." He confessed sheepishly and I turned to face him.

"What do you mean you can't?"

"Eric called."

"He's on his way." I supplied.

"Did he call your cell too?"

"No. I can feel him; and he's not happy."

"He asked me not to let you out of my sight."

"And did he say _why_?"

"No."

Of course not. Eric didn't share his reasons with just anybody, certainly not Sam a shifter. He just expected his commands to be followed without question. If it had been from anyone else, I'm sure Sam would have asked for an explanation, but under the circumstances, Sam knows Eric enough, and the past trouble I've gotten into well, to understand that Eric has his reasons and they'd eventually be made known.

"It doesn't really matter." I sighed. "He's here."

A car I didn't recognize tore into the parking lot and stopped in front of us. Eric emerged and was flanked by two females; one human and one vampire. The human, Ginger, I recognized; the vampire I didn't.

I took a minute as he moved quickly towards me to appreciate how he looked. A tall, blonde, Viking in dark jeans and a green v-neck sweater; one that feels so good I've run my hands and rubbed my body all over. Yum.

He paused and arched a brow at me. Damn, he felt my lust. Now he was standing there with the anger and the hot and I still had no answers.

"You're coming with me." He unceremoniously announced.

"_What?"_ I shrieked. "I am not. It's not the end of my shift, the bar is insane and I'm not leaving Sam in a lurch."

"Ginger and Alicia are here to step in for you while you're gone." Eric said gesturing to his entourage. While I'm gone? I didn't like the way this sounded. "Ginger can wait tables and Alicia is a bartender. He's getting two for the price of one."

"Why?" I demanded.

"I'm not getting into that now."

"Then I'm not going with you now." I shrugged and turned back to the bar, knowing full well he'd never take _that_ lying down.

He did not disappoint. He grabbed my wrist, spun me around and yanked me to his chest. I rolled my eyes at Ginger's internal wish that Eric would treat _her _like this, with so much passion. Ginger is an airhead with major Eric worship happening.

"It's not open for debate, Sookie."

_Why_ was he so worked up? "Calm. Down." I warned.

Since he was touching me, I could take the opportunity to push calm through to bond and directly into him. It worked for a minute, until he realized what I was doing and pushed away from me. He turned around and shouted, "Don't fuck with me!" in frustration.

I did it anyway and gave him a double dose to boot. He needed it. To merely say Eric overacts when it comes to me would be an extreme understatement.

He accepted this wave of calm though, ran a hand down his face and then dropped both hands to his hips and looked at me. "There's been threats made against you."

"That old swan song, Eric?" I quipped. There's _always _some kind of threat to me. Ever since Bill Compton walked into this bar, my life has never been anything but in danger. And Eric has saved it more times than I can count; sometimes by doing things like marrying me without my knowledge, forming a blood bond without telling me what it meant first, you know, typical things like that.

"Is there any other when it comes to you? That band only knows one song." he tossed back and Sam stifled a chuckle. Sam has likewise saved my ass upon occasion.

But don't think I'm helpless here. I've killed a human, a few vampires, a Were or two and a few fairies in self-defense. I'm no shrinking violet.

"I'm always in danger, Eric." I said carefully.

"And you never let me do anything about it."

"What is it you're proposing to do this time?"

Alicia seemed surprised that anyone would speak to her Sheriff in this manner or question his authority and Ginger didn't have a lot of thoughts to begin with. Sam was not exactly the President of the Eric Fan Club, but he could grudgingly admit that Eric only ever acted in, what he believed to be, my best interests and while he was capable of many things, one thing he was not capable of was hurting me.

"You will work at Fangtasia during the evenings and spend your days with me." Oh yeah, like that was going to fly. He could feel my astonishment. "Sookie…" He tried to head me off at the pass but the damage was done.

"Absolutely not!"

"It's not negotiable." Now _he _was pushing the calm at _me._

"The hell it's not!" I exploded anyway. "You've been pushing this for months and now you've figured out how to get your own way because God forbid you don't. I'm not giving up my life and my freedom to be your kept woman."

His eyes flashed at me and then everything went creepy calm.

Bad. Sign.

"In the millennium that I've walked this Earth as a vampire, I've had thousands of women and I've _kept_ a fair share, but I haven't loved a single one and I certainly haven't made any of them my wife. They will use me to get to you just as quickly as they'll use you to get to me. So putting that into perspective, in what universe did you think I would not use all my power, which is considerable, to _keep you safe_! You are _not_ my kept woman; you are my wife, you are in danger and I'd like you to recognize the difference!"

The only sound in the tense silence was that of the back door opening. Holly poked her head out. "Sam, it's really crazy in here. Are y'all coming back in?"

"Uh, yeah, Holly." Sam said clearing his throat. "Alicia, Ginger, why don't you come with me and I'll show you around."

Everyone else disappeared inside and Eric and I were left alone in the parking lot. His desperation rolled through me in waves.

Since the day Bill brought me to Fangtasia the very first time, Eric had been there when I needed him, whether I thought I did or not. It hadn't always been selfless on his part, but he's been there. He was the one man I could count on no matter what. Well, I can count on Sam pretty good too, but Sam didn't have Eric's resources for sure. Eric has seen me at my absolute best and my absolute worst and has loved me all along.

"Baby, _what happened_?" I whispered, feeling my anger deflate out of me when I felt his pain.

"Barry the Bellhop is missing."

I slowly began to sink to my knees, but before I touched down to the gravel, Eric's arms came around me and he held me up. He stroked my hair as I gasped for breath. People die and go missing all around me and with quite a bit of frequency but Barry is different. Barry is a fellow telepath and in fact, the only other one I know of…

"Hunter." I whispered.

"What? Hunter?"

"Hunter. Put someone on Hunter Savoy."

Eric held me up with one arm and dialed his cell phone with the other. "Pam, call Alcide and ask him to put round the clock protection on Hunter Savoy." I rattled off Hunter and Remy's address and Eric relayed it to Pam. "Tell Alcide I will explain later."

He hung up his cell phone and held me again with both arms. "Lover, why did I just request pack protection for your five-year-old cousin? Do you think your brother needs it too?"

"He's…like me." I finally confessed.

"You've never told me this."

"I was always sidetracked when I was going to."

"Uh huh." He is not quite convinced there.

"Well, what, like you tell me everything?"

"I tell you what you need to know. It would take me a hundred years to tell you _everything_. There's another telepath in my area, Sookie, that's information I need to know."

"He's five!"

"I didn't say I'd use him, but it would be nice to be able to protect him."

"Do you think Barry's dead?" I looked up at him and tried to hold back the tears, which seemed more heartbreaking to him than actually shedding them and his face softened.

"No, I don't. But I don't think he's willingly gone, I haven't got the slightest clue who has him and it won't be long before he cracks and they find out about you, if they don't know already." I nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm begging you, Sookie, please." This is a man who definitely does not beg.

"Yes." I said quietly. "Anything you want me to do."

"Until the danger is past?"

"Is it ever?"

"With you? No, never."

"Least I'm not boring, right?"

"You are many things, my lover, but that has never been one of them."

"Well, I don't want to be like all the other girls."

"You never have been."


	2. Chapter 2

2.

**~Sookie~**

Waking up in my Viking's arms was truly a treat. By necessity, Eric always left before dawn, but his bedroom was light tight so there was no need to leave me. I rolled out of bed, pulled on flannel pants and a tank top and stumbled into the windowless bathroom to take care of my human needs. I didn't want to knock him over with my breath when he woke up after all.

I discovered last night that while Eric was arguing with me at Merlotte's, Pam was at my house packing a bunch of my stuff up. That was oddly sweet of him, if not a little controlling. I would have expected him to just say I could buy whatever I needed, which he still said, but he was thoughtful enough to think I'd want some of my own stuff around me.

I smiled when I saw my jewelry box on his dresser last night. There wasn't much in it, but what was there was special to me. One thing in particular. Eric was big on gifts and I was big on not accepting them, but the box did also have those few pieces of jewelry that I gave in and allowed him to give me.

Some of his words from the night before had struck a chord with me. Yes, there was a difference between a kept woman and a wife, even if having a wife in the vampire world was a little different than the human world. I'd never really allowed myself the girlish fantasy of what it would be like to get married because I'd never considered it before. Reading human males' thoughts made dating them out of the question. Up until a few years ago, I had never known there was an alternative and up until recently, vampire/human marriages were illegal in the United States.

But in the vampire world, we were married and didn't married couples live together? Crisis or not, isn't that what he'd just accomplished?

I told you he was sneaky.

I looked in the mirror to where he was splayed out on the bed on his stomach. Eric had a California king size bed, which was good because he still took up a huge chunk of it. I cocked my head to the side and studied him carefully.

"But didn't you love your human wife?" I found myself whispering.

I was surprised when the lump on the bed rolled over, gave me a lazy smile and answered me. "I felt affection for Aude and back then, that's all you needed. It made us some of the lucky ones." I didn't take my eyes from his. I didn't know what to say, it was a rhetorical question. "Truly Sookie, you are the only woman I have ever loved. It is terrifying and exciting."

I walked slowly back to the bed, keeping my eyes on his. Sometimes, I honestly wasn't sure he _couldn't_ glamour me. Even before the blood bond, my body reacted to him. When I was in love with another man, I still found him fascinating and exhilarating to be around. He always looked at me like he knew a secret about me, about us. He looked at me like he knew one day I would be his and he was just biding his time, humoring me and my rebelliousness until I came around and accepted the inevitable.

I straddled over him on the bed and his fingers trailed along my shoulders, back and forth in a feather light touch. He was naked beneath me and I was fully clothed.

"I like when you say things like that to me."

"You know that I love you."

"But you can be very sweet when it is just us and that's not something I ever would have thought of you as."

"It is a side I only show to you."

"Which is why I love it so much."

"Even if I don't say it often, you can feel it and that is stronger than any words I can put to it."

"You have very strong feelings. I thought I was going to go mad with them last night."

"You're learning to control the bond well. I've had a little more experience." He pushed my hair behind my ear and then ran his palm down my arm.

"Speaking of which, you're still very worried."

"I don't know where the enemy is." He said softly. "It's come at us from all sides before. You're reckless when someone you love is in danger and there is nothing, _nothing_ I won't do to get you back. If I have to slaughter a town or go to war, I would. I would pay any amount of money; I would sacrifice any number of my people. And this worries me."

"Turns me on." I said huskily and lowered my lips to his. When I pulled away, he followed me and sat up. I linked my feet and hands around him.

"You will take the utmost care." He ordered as I kissed my way from his ear, along his jaw to his chin and around the other side.

"Mmm-hmm." I murmured taking his earlobe into my mouth.

"If you have to go anywhere during the day, and I would very much prefer you did not, you will have several escorts. Ones who can ruthlessly rip out an attacker's throat and not feel the slightest bit guilty about it."

"Only leave the house with Alcide, check."

"Only leave the house if it's on _fire_, Sookie."

"Check." I kiss down the other side of his neck and across his shoulder.

"I can't stand it anymore." He growled and pulled my clothes off.

"You can hardly call that any kind of a holdout." I laughed, but it died in my throat when he lifted my hips and impaled me with pleasure. I moved frantically and held on to him for dear life, opening the bond to feel everything he did. His anger, his desperation, his love, flowing through him and into me in this wonderful wave. I never knew there could be something like this. I couldn't feel this way with any of my previous lovers, though there have only been a few, but Eric was _all _feeling.

I screamed out his name as the orgasm slammed through me and he bit into my neck. He tenderly sealed the wound and I dropped my forehead to his.

"It's almost time to go to work, lover."

"Let's be late; I know the boss."

"You'll be working for Pam."

"Pam!"

"I thought you'd rather answer to Pam than me."

"You thought right." I confirmed. "So I'm going to have to wear a tramp vamp outfit."

"I can't wait." He leered.

"What's she going to make me do?"

"She's going to put you on the bar with Felicia." He explained. Ugh. Felicia wasn't a fan of mine. Plus, she was a spy for some other kingdom. I don't know why they let her stay knowing that. I will never understand vampire politics. "You should feel free to read all the humans minds that are there though, both employees and customers."

"You want me to bartend _and_ read everyone's minds _and _deal with your heightened emotions all without making myself look like a crazy person?"

"Yes."

"Okey dokey."

"I have to admit, Sookie, that minus the danger, I'm looking forward to this arrangement. I like you here; I like you there. There's much comfort in always having you near."

"You love the danger."

"Not when it's surrounding you."

"I'll be fine; I have you there and we're a good team."

He cocked his head to the side and studied me. "We _are_ a good team. You may not have liked it, but we've been a good team since the beginning. Now get dressed and dress warm; we're flying."

**~Eric~**

Fuck.

The boy in front of me is praying that I not kill the messenger.

"You're positive."

"Yes, my lord."

Of course he's positive. He's the best spy I've got, that's why I sent him to Victor.

"Because this is going to make my wife crazy and she's going to go crazy on _me_ and I'd be sure you were one hundred percent positive."

"I heard it from his own lips, Sheriff." Casey says. He disapproves of my admitting to any sort of deference to my wife, but he's young. The young ones don't understand the draw of humans for anything other than food. They don't understand why we older ones tend to keep humans around as pets. Not that I have ever considered Sookie a pet, mind you. In the beginning, I thought of her as an asset and a woman I wanted to fuck blind, but I never thought of her as a pet. Other vampires refer to her as my pet and do it in both my presence and hers. She hates it, I can tell. I'm indifferent to it. I don't particularly like it, but I have bigger battles to fight.

"This is very bad." I said and dropped down onto the couch in my office.

"I don't see how, my lord."

"You will in another few centuries." I sighed. "That is all, Casey. You may return to New Orleans."

I waved the young one out of my office and began to pace and think. This was not fucking good.

"_I _have outdone myself." Pam announced walking through the door, pulling Sookie along with her. A few years ago, I would have been disgusted by the pure giddiness I feel in her presence. My eyes start at the crown of golden curls on her head, travel down to her face where Pam was heavy on the eye makeup, over her voluptuous breasts, taking in her killer figure which is barely covered by one of Pam's filmy black dresses, and finally ending with the fuck me boots on her feet.

"Our newest tramp vamp." Pam gushes.

"Aren't you tasty?" I say hoarsely to Sookie who looks mortified.

"You don't honestly expect me to stand out there all night in this get up."

"Why not?"

"For one, my boobs are going to fall out of this dress."

"I don't mind that one bit."

"You will when it happens in a bar full of people."

I think back to the night I met her when she stood before me in her virginal white dress. Her eyes had the same flash to them that they do now, but that girl is barely recognizable in the woman before me. The hot as fucking sin woman before me, that is.

"You're not quite complete yet though." I replied. I glanced at Pam who nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. She and I went back and forth on this part, but in the end, agreed that the greater good outweighed the possible dangers.

"The rest of the outfit is on the desk there." I gestured to the flat velvet box on the desk and she sighed heavily. She's embarrassed by extravagant gifts, but I think after my fit last night, she'll start being a little more accepting of them. She deserves them and I'm pledged to her, why not show that to the world?

She ran her fingers over the velvet of the box and then her hands fell away. "Open it."

She sighed at me, but picked the box up and opened it. The contents rendered her speechless, which is not something Sookie often is.

The silver crucifix shined up at her. It was about three inches long and encrusted with rubies, sapphires and emeralds and rested on a heavy silver chain. It was worth a small fortune, but since she herself was priceless, there was nothing I wouldn't pay to ensure her protection.

"Oh, Eric." She breathed. "It's just beautiful."

"It's a last measure of protection." I shrugged as if it were nothing. Mark my words though, that damn thing is going to burn the shit out of me at some point.

She looked up at me thoughtfully. "You really are scared."

"Can't you feel that?"

"Yes, but maybe I didn't fully comprehend just how much until now."

"Well, allow me to set the record straight. If something happens to you, I'm going to go fucking crazy."

"I'm in a fortress right now." She replied.

"The enemy has come in the form of a friend before."

She winced a bit as those words hit home. Unfortunately for her, the enemy once came in the form of lover, immediately followed by another lover who wasn't all that trustworthy either. I intend to break that streak.

"You don't think this is going to…offend others?" she asks skeptically.

"Like I give a shit?"

"Yeah, but what if someone gets accidentally hurt by it?"

"Oh believe me, lover, they'll stay far away from it."

"All this fuss over a mere human." She murmured laying the box on the desk. She is not quite ready to put it on yet and that's certainly fine by me.

"Sookie, you have never been a mere human. Why you still think that after all your encounters with the entire supernatural world is baffling to me. Maybe it is because of the fairy blood, but you are something more. You are unique and that is why everybody wants you."

"And is that why _you_ wanted me?" She was saucy in her challenge.

"I wanted you for many reasons. For your ability, yes. I wanted to figure you out."

"And have you?"

"Not remotely." I laughed and she smiled, running her hands up my chest.

"Why else?"

"Well, you were someone else's. You were always someone else's." I said, running my finger down her face. "Yet at the same time, mine. And that made me crazy. I enjoyed, and still do, being your go-to vampire. However much you may have thought you despised me, you trusted me. That made me curious. I like that I can't glamour you, though it's damn inconvenient, but I never get a false version of you then. You are always genuine."

"You've never let me down."

I tried to hide my pain, but I wasn't fast enough I'm sure. I did let her down once. I didn't do it intentionally, but when those fucking fairies had her, she expected me to be the one to save her. And while I was able to ensure that _someone_ did, it wasn't me. Victor signed his death warrant that day, all I need is the perfect opportunity.

"There's something I have to tell you and I think you should sit down for it."

"Oh, more good news?" She didn't sit though. She stayed right where she was in my arms. I assumed she was banking on the direct contact for the blood bond to calm her down after hearing whatever I had to say.

"No, not at all. While I don't know _who_ has Barry, I think I may know _why_."

"I'm not going to like this."

"My spy in New Orleans heard directly from Victor that he intends to turn you." I immediately push calm through the bond when she starts to shake. Sookie made me promise that I would never turn her, even to save her life. Since there apparently really is nothing I would deny her, I agreed. It is the one truly selfless thing I ever intended to do.

But I'll be God damned if fucking Victor gets to do it.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

**A/N: All right, so I forgot Felicia was dead. But if Alan Ball can keep Lafayette, I've decided I can keep Felicia!**

**~Sookie~**

Of all the things I thought he was going to say, that was not it. I have been very clear with Eric and Bill before him that I do not want to be turned. I have many reasons for not wanting to be turned. Eric is the only reason I _would_ do it. He entertained himself for 1,000 years before I came along, I'm sure he'll find something to do when I'm gone.

"Why?" was all I could say.

"First of all, it would ensure that he always has a telepath. You're not exactly common."

"_He_ does not have me." I stated firmly. "I'll move to Mississippi; Russell is ten times better than being under Victor's thumb."

"You've been banned from Mississippi, remember?"

"I think you can handle the Pelts for me." I tossed back and he grinned just imagining ripping Sandra Pelt to pieces.

"Victor is under the impression that if you were turned, you'd be able to hear vampires as well."

Oh. Uh-oh.

He studied me closely, having I'm sure felt my uncertainty.

"Which is ridiculous, is it not?" Oh damn. He let go of me and took a step back, then looked me right in the eyes. It was impossible to look anywhere else. "Sookie," he said slowly. "Have you ever heard me?"

"No!" I answered immediately.

"But you _have _heard others." He concluded.

"Sort of." I reluctantly answered and there went his careful composure.

"Fuck!" he roared and punched the door to the closet in his office. Glad I wasn't the door because it splintered into pieces. "Who?" He demanded.

"Long Shadow and Henrik from the trial."

"Long Shadow!"

"But it wasn't until he was actually on top of me trying to kill me and I didn't hear Henrik until he thought he was going to die at the trial for revealing whoever he was protecting." I rambled quickly taking a few steps closer to where he paced in the corner in anger.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it was just these two very fleeting thoughts and I think you'd agree it's something I should hold pretty close to the vest."

"But not something to be kept from me!" Oh God, the whole bar could probably hear this. He was even angrier than he was the night before. "He _knows_, Sookie! Do you understand? Fucking Barry was obviously careless and Victor now fucking knows! He will stop at nothing especially if he wants to be the one to do it! His vampire telepath child!"

This time I did lower myself slowly to sit on the couch. This was worse than anything I could have imagined. I didn't _want _to be bonded to anybody, but I couldn't change it with Eric and just as he promised, now I did like it. But I certainly didn't want it with Victor. I did not want to be under Victor's dominion. _Victor_ would be my maker? No. Over my dead body.

"Do you see what the new problem is, lover? You don't want to be turned. I will fight him with everything I have, but if it looks like he's going to win, do I turn you myself? Because I will be damned if that fucker will recall you from me whenever he God damn pleases. As long as I walk this Earth, you will not belong to him or any other vampire. I'll turn you my fucking self if it comes down to that and if you hate it that much you can run into the fucking sun, but you will _not _belong to him."

I wasn't sure how I felt about any of that. But I felt his determination and so I knew he was dead on serious. One thing I could be sure of was that Victor just became Public Enemy Number One and Eric would stop at nothing until he was eliminated.

"Can't you just kill me if it comes to that?"

Once the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. I could feel his pain and despair at the mere suggestion.

"No. I could never destroy you." He whispered. "How can you even ask that of me?"

"Because you're the only one strong enough to do it."

**~Eric~**

Strong enough my ass. Her request was, of course, out of the question. I could never kill her. I _might _be able to set her free after I turned her like I did Pam…well, no. I don't think I'd be able to do that either. The whole point of turning her is to keep her.

It appeared there was one thing I would deny her after all.

The bar was in full swing by the time we made it out. Felicia caused a ridiculous uproar over the silver crucifix. She was afraid Sookie was going to get too close to her. My response to her and every other vampire was to stay far away from her. And so they have.

Just like I always suspected, Sookie was a huge hit at Fangtasia. The human customers and the supernatural customers loved her. How could they not love a sweet Southern girl like Sookie who's dressed to kill?

"Your brooding, obsessive fixation with our new bartender is conspicuous, Eric." Pam said stepping in front of me.

"Get out of the way." I ordered, peering around her. Pam sighed dramatically and stepped to her left, restoring my view of my beloved where she was entertaining a few college boys. Every now and then, she would fill someone's order based on what they thought before they spoke. It seemed to be adding to their experience of an evening at a supernatural bar.

"Everybody loves her."

"Yes."

"She'll make us a lot of money while she's here."

"Probably."

"Her brother is at the door armed."

"What?" I blinked and looked up at Pam from my spot on my throne. "Jason's here?"

"With that damn Benelli." Pam confirmed. "He's demanding to see his sister."

"Let him." I waved permission. "Just make sure the shotgun's not loaded."

"I think it's for _her._" Pam drawled and then turned away and glided off, turning heads in her wake. Pam really did up her time in the bar each night. She knew exactly what tourists wanted to see and she gave it to them.

"What the fuck's going on?" Jason demanded storming up to me. The shotgun was dangling from his fingers. He wasn't planning on shooting the place up. Sookie looked surprised to see him from her spot at the bar, then she answered her cell phone and talked while she worked.

"Jason, have a seat." I waved to the open chair next to me and Jason dropped down and looked at me expectantly. What a fool. "What can I do for you?"

"Nobody in Bon Temps seems to know where Sookie disappeared to, except Sam and he just said you showed up demanding she leave with you. That some vamps were after her."

"Yes. I'm nearly positive there's a plot to kidnap her."

"And what the hell are you planning on doing about that?"

I wasn't used to being questioned, especially by someone who actually thought I was going to explain myself. But this was Sookie's brother and he was important to her. Why I couldn't fathom because he's a useless, halfwit, asshole.

"I'm going to keep her with me until the danger's passed so I can ensure her safety."

"And what does she think about that?"

"You see her behind the bar. She's agreed."

"Did she really agree or did you just force her into doing it your way?"

I was in his face so fast, he blinked in surprise. "Careful Jason, this is my turf you are on now making accusations. She agreed to work here and stay with me until the danger has passed. You can ask her herself. But the ones who I believe are after her have every intention of forcing her into something she doesn't want to do. Now go give her the gun before I wrap it around your neck."

He tried to stare me down, I'll give him credit for that, but then just stormed off for the bar. Bill Compton came in while Jason and Sookie were having their back and forth debate that ultimately ended with Sookie putting the shotgun and bullets, which I have no doubt were probably silver, behind the bar. Bill came and sat down in the chair just vacated by Sookie's brother.

An unexpected wave of calm washed over me and I looked back over to the bar at my wife. She smiled lightly and went back to work, her brother having sat down on a stool with a beer. She wanted me to be calm for my conversation with her ex-boyfriend. I did not smile back. She probably didn't expect me to. I don't show too much affection to her in the bar. She is a weakness of mine and I don't like to advertise it, though it's mostly unavoidable. Despite any outward actions of mine, she can feel what I feel anyway and she's the only person whose opinion of me actually matters.

"Who's after her?" Bill demanded.

"I believe Victor." I answered with indifference. "Barry the Texan Telepath has gone missing and my spy in New Orleans heard directly from Victor's mouth that he wants to turn Sookie."

"She doesn't want to be turned."

"No shit."

"What can I do?"

Bill's devotion to Sookie is rather annoying. It comes in handy in a pinch, but mostly I wish he'd go away and live in someone else's area. He's got a new girlfriend and they seem to be getting on well. I don't pay much attention myself, but that's what Sookie says.

"She is with me during the day and here at night. You can come here more often as an added layer of protection if you wish, but beyond that, precautions are being taken."

"Why is he so interested in her now?" Bill asked. "He could have taken her any number of times before this."

"I don't know for sure. But Barry the Bellhop has gone missing and I think Victor believes if Sookie is turned, she will be able to hear the thoughts of vampires."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." 

"Yes, it is." I said. I would not reveal my wife's confession even to Bill. He returned to Bon Temps originally to get to know Sookie and seduce her if need be at the order of the Queen of Louisiana. He did not bank on falling in love but his betrayal was devastating to Sookie. She has gotten past it and now they are close friends, which I can't stand, but unlike Sookie, I believe Bill has a breaking point.

"It still doesn't add up."

"Sookie has Felipe's protection. It would have been too obvious to move on her before. Even now, he has to move very carefully. I do not believe Felipe would have any knowledge of this and I would like to think he would not allow it, if he did. But I don't know him very well yet. And I certainly do not trust him."

"Are you going to go to him for help?"

"Not yet. And you're not to either." I ordered him. He would. Bill is love struck enough to take matters into his own hands. He's still a relatively young vampire and can at times be rash.

"It just kills you that I'm still around, doesn't it?"

"Not anymore than it probably kills you that I won." Bill brings out an immature side of me. The only thing I ever wanted of Bill's was Sookie and I eventually got her, not that anybody made it particularly easy. Talk about timing. "You know sometimes, Bill, I think that was your plan all along. Sometimes I wonder if after you fell in love with her, you thought that if you gave her up to me, she might be better protected from Sophie Anne. The queen didn't let me in on her plan for Sookie. She never needed to be on my radar. You're young, but you're not stupid. Since I met her, I've spent considerable resources protecting her."

Bill said nothing in response. It didn't matter anyway because Sookie appeared at my side with her hand on my shoulder, obviously feeling the tension from across the room and feeling compelled to alleviate it.

"It's good to see you, Bill. You're looking well."

"As are you, sweetheart." His eyes raked down her body taking in Pam's work. "You seem very much out of place."

"It's a different clientele to get used to for sure!" She laughed. She rubbed her hand along my shoulders and I just all around felt better. I realized I _needed_ her to make me feel better now. I was getting deeper and deeper into my wallowing and wasn't about to emerge anytime soon on my own. She nodded to a nearby booth over her shoulder. "I'm taking a break, Bill. Why don't you join me for a drink? We'll catch up."

"It would be my pleasure." Bill smirked at me and then sauntered off with my woman with his hand on her lower back. They slid into a booth not too far from me. A thousand dollars says she puts her request for death before Bill. He'll never do it. He definitely isn't strong enough.

But he will fight for her, at least against Victor, so he's a resource, as was Pam. It was more than strength I needed, it was the unexpected. And suddenly I knew where to find it.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

**A/N: I won't always post this fast. I try to keep a buffer between what's posted and what I have written and tend to post faster in the beginning of the story. Thanks to everyone for the feedback! I try to answer all of them. And thanks to everyone who's adding me to your favorites lists and alerts. I really appreciate that too! **

**~Sookie~**

"Absolutely not!"

"Bill -"

"After all that I have done to keep you _alive_, how could you ask that of me? Eric didn't say yes, did he?"

"Do you think I'd even be bringing it up to you if he did?" I mumbled.

"Sookie, you are far too precious to be destroyed. Surely you grasp that by now?"

His dark, intense eyes were pleading with me to understand. But I didn't. I couldn't. It's not that I wanted to die, but I didn't want to be a vampire and I didn't want to be enslaved to anybody. I controlled my life, for the most part. Be it Eric or someone else, I didn't want a maker calling the shots whenever the mood struck them. Pam was ordered back from Minnesota to help Eric. Maybe she didn't mind, but I'm from a different time. I would.

"I grasp that since the day I was exposed to this world – no, even _before _that -" And Bill winced. "I have been a fucking pawn. And I think I've been a pretty good sport throughout, helping all forms of supernatural beings when I've been called upon. All I ask is to _not _become one! Certainly not because of something I may or may not be able to do."

"You are what you are, sweetheart, and there's nothing that can change that." He said softly, running a finger down my cheek. I felt a fleeting stab of jealousy and annoyance before Eric cut it off. "Once I got to know you, all I wanted was to spare you all of this, but the cards had already been dealt. I did not and still don't have the power to protect you. Eric does."

"If Felipe sides with Victor, and who's to say he hasn't ordered all this, Eric cannot win."

"Do not ever underestimate Eric, Sookie." Bill's voice turned hard, as did his face. "I made that mistake once and it cost me you. He's cunning, calculating and a great warrior. He has no desire to be king, but every sovereign in America wants him in their employ. He's the most powerful sheriff in the country. There was nothing he wasn't prepared to do to win you and so you must believe there's nothing he wouldn't do to keep you."

If I wasn't blood bonded to Eric, the things Bill said would give me pause. He made it sound like Eric only wanted me so he could win; so he'd have something no one else did. I, of course, felt otherwise. The bond did not allow for fake feelings. He could hide them if he wanted to, he was much more experienced than I, but he couldn't pretend to feel something he didn't.

I wasn't naïve enough to think that Eric wasn't initially attracted by my value. I'd only ever come across one other adult telepath, Barry. We knew of no other vampire king or queen that had one. Early on, Eric loaned me out to Stan in Area 9 of Texas for a sizable sum. I smiled when I thought of how he'd followed Bill and I to Texas to ensure Stan kept his word. Maybe he did want to keep the telepath in his area, but he didn't need to see to my wellbeing personally. Any of the others could have done it if directed. Pam would have jumped in front of a bullet for me if her master ordered it and her master had done that very thing three times.

I moved back to the bar as I considered this. Bill joined Jason, which Jason didn't seem overly thrilled about, but he wasn't inclined to give up his free alcohol just yet. I glanced over at Eric who had been on the phone for a while but he finished his call and continued to glower at Bill. Eric had taken three bullets for me and we were only bonded for one of them. He was also willing to be blown to bits with me in Rhodes when I found the bomb. No sheriff, no matter how powerful, would go through all that to save a human, talented or not. I'd have still been a "subject" of the sovereignty of Louisiana as long as I lived in the state. Eric didn't need to get shot three times to ensure that.

I could feel his contentment and I knew that he had worked something out, maybe not a complete plan, but possibly a step in the right direction. He was allowing tourists to take pictures of him again tonight, which he wasn't doing earlier.

"Well, my favorite breather, people are calling their friends to come down to see the new bartender at Fangtasia." Pam announced moving next to me behind the bar as I pulled a few drafts. Felicia glowered next to me.

"Well, I guess something good will come out of this then. The humans here are perverts."

"Hear anything interesting?" she smiled.

"Well, they'd like to chain me up by my necklace and do disgusting things to me." I supplied. "Other than that, no."

"I got a phone call from Felipe a little while ago." Pam continued. "He's sending a messenger here and would like Eric to not kill him."

"Why would Eric kill -" And then it dawned on me. "Because he's sending Quinn."

"That would be my guess, my telepathic friend."

"This is all getting worse and worse, isn't it?" I asked with dread. First Eric gets accosted by Jason with a weapon, then Bill shows up and now the news that the king is sending Quinn, who Eric hates more than Bill.

Eric left his throne and wandered around the main bar a bit. He didn't look remotely approachable, but that didn't stop some people, mostly women, from clamoring for an autograph or a photo. They had very lewd thoughts about my Viking and it never failed to spike jealousy in me.

I warmed up a bottle of True Blood when I saw him coming and slid it down the bar with perfect precision when he appeared at the end. "The service has definitely improved." He smiled at Pam.

"She didn't do that for me." Pam said dryly and gave me a look.

"So Eric gets special treatment," I shrugged in reply. "Shoot me." Eric smirked at Pam, who moved over to see how Felicia was doing. Felicia immediately started in about having to not only work with a human, but she wasn't accustomed to constantly having to work around someone for fear of getting burned. Apparently I was cramping her style. Nobody cared.

"All right, vampire!" called a very familiar and very annoyed voice. "What the hell do you want?"

Many heads turned in the direction of my good friend and former roommate, Amelia Broadway. She had her hands on her hips and was glowering up at Eric. I ignored her 'nobody-in-this-bar-better-touch-me' pose and came out from behind the bar to hug her. She looked surprised to see me here.

"Well, don't you look…" she began looking me over. "There's nothing nice to say. You look like a tramp, Sookie."

"That was the objective." Pam said, looking Amelia over and licking her lips. Amelia blushed, no doubt remembering the brief encounters she and Pam had awhile ago.

"It's great to see you, Amelia! What brings you out to Shreveport? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" I demanded.

"I didn't know I was." She replied, glaring at Eric again. "I got a phone call from your boyfriend demanding my _immediate_ presence. Like I don't have a life in New Orleans; I can just pick up and go whenever he deems fit. I could hex the shit out of you for that, bloodsucker."

"That didn't end well for the last witch who tried that." Eric reminded her.

"What's going on?" I asked and began making the gin and tonic Amelia was about to ask for.

"I'll fill you in after I have spoken to the witch a bit more." He said. He held out his hand and gestured toward his office. "Let's speak privately."

I placed Amelia's drink on the bar and she looked at me accusingly. "What?" I tried to look innocent, but apparently fell short. "We lived together! I remembered what you liked to drink. I figured you could probably use it."

She didn't buy it, but she did take the drink and followed Eric back to his office.

**~Eric~**

"Have a seat." I waved my hand to the big, leather couch in my office.

"Why is Sookie working here?" Amelia demanded and remained standing in the middle of the office. "Has something happened to Sam?"

"She needs protection and no." I stood behind my desk and shoved my hands in my pockets, looking at the small girl before me. She hadn't changed much since her return to New Orleans.

"Were you followed here?"

"How would I know?" She countered. I arched an eyebrow at her and glared. My message was received. I was in no mood for trite witchly antics. "No I don't believe so. What's going on?"

I briefly explained my theories on Victor and his plot to kidnap Sookie. Amelia was righteous and indignant in all the right places.

"And so what do you want with me?" She was curious. "I don't have the strength to fight vampires. I also live in Victor's area. I don't want to go missing in the middle of the night."

I refrained from telling her that could just as easily happen here. It will be much easier if she's not here by force. "You could stay at Sookie's I'm sure for a little while, while you're working on what I need."

"What _do_ you need, Eric?"

"Fire."

"Anybody has the ability to rub two sticks together."

"What is your ability with it?"

I didn't bother to hide my surprise when she held her hand palm up and a small fireball sprang up and hovered in her hand. Diantha had a similar power, but I could say for certain that Mr. Cataliades would not let her get involved.

"Then what happens?" I made the mistake of asking. A split second later, my garbage can was on fire.

I immediately shot the fire extinguisher at it and put it out. Vampires ignite very easily, which is what I am after here…I'd just as soon not be the one on fire though.

"That was a pretty close range. I'm not always that accurate of a pitcher."

"I can get you a coach." I dismissed. I understood Roger Clemens was probably available.

"I haven't signed on to anything." She reminded me, but I ignored her and moved on.

"Victor's smart." I continued. "It would be in his best interest to abduct Sookie during the day when I am presumably sleeping. I don't require as much sleep as younger vampires, but I am still hampered by the daylight. I've woken up during the day when I've felt her in danger before, but was powerless to do anything about it. I was wondering if you could charm something I could wear in the daylight."

She stared at me with her mouth open. It would probably be endearing to a human, but only one has ever endeared herself to me and I won't let anybody exploit my weaknesses to hurt her. Amelia rubbed her hand over her face and began to pace the room. I gave her what I thought was an acceptable length of time to formulate an initial reaction before I began prodding her.

"What do you think?"

"I might be able to shield a cloak It's the only thing that might give you full coverage." She said thoughtfully. "It wouldn't be comfortable though."

"I care nothing for comfort." I dismissed. "I care about not burning to a crisp. I can handle being warm."

"We'd have to test it, which might be painful for you."

"Not for long; we'd know pretty quickly whether or not it was working."

"If any other vampires found out about it, I'd be killed or tortured or who knows what. This is going to be a big deal."

No kidding.

"You can stay at my house or Sookie's. If you stay at Sookie's I'll provide you with protection."

"No Weres." She decreed and I shrugged indifferently. She took Tray Dawson's death pretty hard. The wards she had on Sookie's house previously would likely be adequate for the daytime and I could send Bubba for the evenings.

"I'm not going to do this for free."

I had her. Price was no object, for either of us. She would take whatever I agreed to and happily; moreover, I would pay whatever she asked. This was an opportunity for her to show off amongst her own kind, at least after the fact. And on my end, I would get an added show of force. Vampires as a species preferred to be self-sufficient. I was not of that mindset. I preferred to think outside the box and utilize all the resources at my disposal.

"Why me?" She asked suddenly, but not unexpectedly. "There are witches more powerful than me."

"There are witches more _experienced_ than you, of course." I agreed. "But not necessarily more powerful. You're very gifted, Amelia, and you harbor next to no fear. You care about Sookie, which is something any old witch would not do. It will make you more cautious. And, of course, you have a better understanding of the stakes." I gave her a fangy smile and she shuddered.

"I fall back on my earlier threat of hexing the shit out you."

I laughed at her bravado.

"You are creative, determined and not afraid to try something difficult. You are also not a stupid woman. You know that this will make us both infamous."

"If it works."

"I have every faith that it will." I said confidently. "It has to."


	5. Chapter 5

5.

**A/N: Eric/Sookie romance is coming. There's sweet moments in here, but chapter 6 has got the good stuff! (Unless I wrote it crappy and then it's just got the mediocre stuff).**

**~Sookie~**

After Eric's third scream, I called a halt to the experiment.

"That's it; that's enough." I insisted, pulling him back into the house and out of the light.

"In order to know where I'm going, I need to know where I'm starting." Amelia insisted.

I didn't care. I couldn't bear to feel his pain anymore, especially on my account. "I'm dead on my feet. I need sleep, Eric needs sleep and you need sleep. Vampires can't go out in daylight, _that's _where you start."

"But he has a certain tolerance level and it's longer than I thought. If I have a grace period that might mean the difference between a successful or unsuccessful kidnapping attempt."

"She's right, Sookie." Eric agreed after downing another bottle of True Blood.

"I don't care." I snapped. I didn't bother stopping the tension tears that flowed down my face. "This is the never ending day – night – I don't even know what to call it now it's gone on so long! I can't take anymore today, I just can't."

I spun on my heel, stormed off to Eric's room, threw myself on the bed and cried my eyes out. I had passed my peak hours ago and could not handle one more thing today. Eric slid silently onto the bed and leaned up against the head board. I rolled over and dropped my head to his lap and continued to cry as he stroked my hair.

He was not one to whisper stupid stuff just to make a crying woman stop and that's not what I needed then anyway. I just needed to sleep. I was too strung out to think straight. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Eric's fingers running through my hair from scalp to tip over and over. I didn't say a word for a long time.

When I finally did, I hugged my arms around his waist and whispered, "I love you." He paused very briefly in his ministrations before continuing on.

"Then you understand why I will try everything." He said mostly evenly, but his voice cracked a bit and I wasn't sure if that was from fatigue or emotion.

"It doesn't need to be so painful." I muttered petulantly.

"The end will justify the means." He replied flippantly.

I propped my chin on his chest and met his gaze. This was a very different Eric than the one I had originally met. That Eric was ruthless, insensitive, calculating, murderous and conniving. This Eric was all those things, but he was also funny and had the capacity to love. I often wondered if he hadn't lost his memory if I would have seen this side of him. Would he have exposed any vulnerability to me if he ever had a say in it?

"I have something for you." I said suddenly and popped off the bed and over to the dresser.

"I thought you were tired."

"I'm exhausted." I agreed, rummaging in my jewelry box until I found what I was looking for. I sat down on the bed and held up my father's gold wedding band to him. When he saw what it was, his eyes widened. I was afraid that since he was so old and never had to pay attention to such trivialities that the meaning would be lost on him. It was not.

"It was my father's." I began to ramble. "I don't know that it will fit and I don't know that you'll wear it, but in my world, people don't carry around cutlery as a symbol of marriage, they exchange rings. I guess I could have gotten it engraved, but I wasn't planning on giving it to you just yet."

"What changed your mind?"

"Oh…you know…stuff."

"You've a real way with words, lover."

"You'll wear it?" I asked filled with relief.

"You were worried I wouldn't?" He asked in surprise.

"I didn't know if you'd see it as…" I shrugged and looked down at the bed. I couldn't bring myself to say 'weakness.' I hated that I was a weakness for him. He had others, of course, but I was the big one.

"I see it only as a symbol of your pledge to me."

I know I gave him a goofy smile. He could be so sweet when he wanted to be.

It turned out the ring was too small, so I found a long chain in my jewelry box and fastened it around his neck. Close enough. In this case, it really was the thought that counted.

Eric rolled the ring in his fingers. The feelings coming through the bond were strong and sincere. I waited while he worked out how to word what he so obviously wanted to say.

"I am very tired now and so I'll likely screw this up, but bear with me a moment. When I met you, my humanity had been gone for a millennium. I'd buried it deep and had no interest in recalling it. Developing feelings for you was definitely an adjustment. Pam was the only person I cared about and she's exactly what I had originally intended her to be, a companion. You were intended to be an asset, a possession none of the other sheriffs had. When you started to become more it was very confusing and frustrating. I couldn't help becoming more and more involved with you. I was curious then I was infatuated then I thought I was obsessed and then finally I was in love. It was quite the gamut."

"I think the first emotion I felt from you in Rhodes was confusion."

"I didn't know what to do with the bond either." He continued. "I knew how convenient a full blood bond with you would be, but I wasn't prepared for how powerful it would be. I wanted that tie with you so much I barely gave a thought to what it would mean for me. I wasn't prepared for _you_ to feel _me_. I knew it worked that way, of course, but knowing and experiencing are two different things. I hadn't allowed that of anyone other than Pam and I have not given her blood since I created her. I was vulnerable to you. I knew that I had been laid bare before you once before but I couldn't remember it and so for all intents and purposes, this was a new experience for me.

"Moreover, I was used to getting my way with little fight and you were not accommodating in that regard. I was not accustomed to feeling hurt and rejection. I am positive I would have reacted to certain situations differently had I had more time to adjust to those emotions."

I lifted my hand to his cheek and pushed as much reassurance as I could into him. I was pretty tired, so I wasn't sure it was doing much good.

"Bill's betrayal cut to my very core, Eric. I had loved you and lost you once already and didn't have the luxury of forgetting everything that happened between us. And while the person I loved first may not have been a complete version of you, it was the part I wanted most. I didn't think of what control I gained over you, only that which I lost to you. What if I discovered you knew about Bill's mission all along? What if you had a higher mission? It was better to not take the chance than to feel the pain again."

"I will do whatever it takes to keep you from Victor, my lover. That is a vow."

I kissed him once, then twice, then sighed into his neck. It was tough to tell who was having a harder time staying awake right then, him or me. I would love to tell you that we sealed this beautiful moment with some hot, raunchy, monkey sex, but that couldn't happen now. So I promised myself that would be the first order of business when we woke up.

The best laid plans, right?

Instead of waking up to the most talented hands that were ever created, I was awoken out of a dead sleep by a blood curdling scream. Eric was still dead to the world next to me. I knew it was Amelia and went running out of the room to investigate. I found her and Claude in the living room. Claude was trying to quiet her down.

"Claude, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Making sure you're not dead, cousin. What are _you_ doing here?"

"Trying to get over the shock."

"Doesn't look like your hair made it." He nodded at my head. I scowled and tried to flatten what must be atrocious bed head.

"Are you crazy? Popping into a vampire's house? Haven't you heard of a cell phone?"

"The vampire told Niall there was a kidnapping plot against you. When I tried Merlotte's and then your house to confirm, you had disappeared and no one knew where you went!"

"Eric's protecting me." I bit back. "Why can Eric still contact Niall?"

"He can't. He contacted me, I contacted Niall and Niall called him."

It stung that I couldn't talk directly to my great-grandfather. I missed him. I knew that he kept his distance because of some deference to my safety, but his fae enemies were dead. I didn't agree with his decision to close the portal.

Speaking of which…

Next to pop into the living room was my Uncle Dermot. This made Amelia scream. Last she knew, he wanted to kill me.

"Dearest niece!" Uncle Dermot was very dramatic. He crossed the room and hugged me tightly.

"Wait…" Amelia began.

"Long story." I immediately replied. "We're cool."

"You look sad, niece." Uncle Dermot studied me closely through Jason's eyes. It was a little unnerving.

"No, just tired."

"No, it is more than that. You need to recharge. Come. Claude and I will take you outside."

"I'm not to leave the house." I needlessly announced. Uncle Dermot towed me along to the French doors that lead out to an expansive patio with furniture that Eric only had because he had a patio. Claude and Amelia followed.

"I think two Fairies and a witch can ensure your safety for an hour or so while you recharge."

"There's that word again." I said. "I don't understand what you're talking about."

"You are sky fae, niece. You get your power and energy from the sun. You have been out of it too long. The vampire doesn't understand this."

That made sense. I did feel like I was dragging, but I assumed that was because I'd had a day from hell yesterday and then was woken up abruptly by Amelia's scream.

I stretched out on a chaise lounge in the sun and filled Dermot and Claude in on what we suspected and what I knew of Eric's plan so far. Amelia explained what she'd learned from her research and hypothesized from her morning experiments.

"He seems to have a higher tolerance for daylight than most vampires are rumored to have." She ended. "I'm not sure if that's because of his age."

"It's because of the fairy blood he's ingested." Dermot explained and I sat up to make sure he had my full attention. "The more sky fairy blood he takes in, the longer he can tolerate direct exposure to daylight."

I wondered briefly if that was why Eric had contacted Niall and then dismissed it. Eric had balls of steel but even he didn't have the gall to ask the Prince of Fairies, a terrifying and powerful man, to offer one of his own up for lunch.

Claude and Dermot continued to pace and theorize while I soaked up the sun. Amelia eventually joined my sunbathing and when the sun began to set, I said my goodbyes to my fairy family and got back up to head inside.

When I returned to the house, the shower was running. Eric was up. Even if the shower wasn't a dead giveaway, I felt him. Things were pretty overwhelming when he was awake. There were days he was definitely more exhausting than others and if he was going to be anything like he was the day before, I would be grateful for the time I had to recharge my batteries. I was definitely feeling peppier and I remembered we had some business to attend to.

I walked into the bathroom, locked the door, peeled off my clothes and stepped into the shower.


	6. Chapter 6

6.

**A/N: Some of you asked for smut. I hope this passes muster. :D**

**~Eric~**

Quite frankly, I was anticipating Sookie joining me in the shower. What was a surprise was that she reeked of fairy.

She hooked her finger through the ring around my neck and tugged me against her. I inhaled deeply from her delicious neck, letting the intoxicating scent of Sookie mixed with fairy consume me.

She fell back against the shower wall and I braced my weight on my hands, propped on either side of her. Her hands dropped to my shoulders and ran trails of fire along them as I began the suddenly very important task of lapping up the water off her body. This was likely to take a while since we were standing under the steady shower stream.

With her breasts in my hands, my thumbs swirling around her nipples, I licked my way down her stomach.

"Please," she moaned when I kneeled before her and her fingers threaded into my hair. Her moan turned into a gasp at my very first taste of her. She was so delicate, like silk over glass. There were places of her body that I could not, would not, use my fangs. They were sacred places and not to be disturbed and while I was much too aroused to retract my fangs, I painstakingly made sure they never came in contact here with her soft, pulsating flesh.

I felt her first orgasm through the bond as she shuddered around me. That was an experience that I could never tire of. Everything was more with Sookie; more beauty, more passion, more wonder. I ran my tongue back up her body and when I buried myself inside her, I felt more warmth.

Vampires who didn't revere a human like Sookie were stupid.

All this wonderful life flowing through my hands. I drove into her again and again and her small cries of pleasure rang in my ears as I moved frantically inside her. My hands were desperate for a place to rest, but they just couldn't decide if they needed to be in her hair or on her ass or running over the sexy flare of her hip.

My mouth, on the other hand, was currently worshipping her perfectly formed breasts. And here I could use my fangs, for they demanded it but I painfully restrained myself, cursing my masochism and telling myself it would be worth it in the end.

I nearly went mad when she hooked her legs around my waist, chanting my name over and over like a prayer. When she bit into my shoulder and drank I felt the frenzy inside spiral out of control. Was it my orgasm? Was it hers? I couldn't tell and I certainly didn't care because my body felt like it was shooting lightning out of its pores.

I bit into her shoulder and swallowed hard. Her sweet nectar gliding down my throat like satin. She was an excellent vintage and who was I to argue when she held my head in place and whispered, "Take more."

Honestly, I tried not to feed off her. I didn't need much to sustain myself anymore and believe it or not, I felt a pang of shame whenever I saw her popping her vitamin B supplements when she woke up, so I would only take enough to keep the bond strong and satisfy my erotic need to take as much of her inside me as I safely could.

She was breathing heavy when I sealed the wound and watched as the water diluted her blood as it ran down her body and swirled at my feet. Our bodies were still joined and I tipped my forehead against hers and closed my eyes, cherishing the feeling of her soft fingertips stroking the back of my neck.

"Good afternoon, sleepyhead." She murmured in a voice that dripped sex. I growled in response and kissed her.

What a way to greet the evening. "You smell like the sun."

"Uncle Dermot said I needed to recharge my batteries. And he was right. I feel so much better after having spent time outside. But don't worry, they never left my side. I was never alone."

I think Dermot and Claude counted as people who would rip out an attacker's throat and ask questions never. Nobody is more vicious than fairies. For as touchy as they are, they would kill to protect faster. Fairies just…weren't right in the head and Sookie's fairy family was extremely protective of her; whether they wanted to be or not.

"That was Dermot and Claude I smelled?"

"Yes. _After your call with Niall-_" She glared at me. Oops. I didn't mean to keep it from her; there were just a lot of other things going on. "- Claude was worried about me. And how was your conversation with my great-grandfather who never talks to _me?_"

"Don't get your fur up, lover. I didn't intend to keep it from you."

I could feel she wasn't really annoyed. In fact, she was blissfully satiated and I wouldn't be male if I didn't say that that made me feel quite proud of myself. She ran her finger along my jaw as I slowly pulled out of her and set her precariously on her own two feet, then stepped back under the water flow.

"Did you drink enough?" she asked and I frowned in response. She was concerned. In fact, now that the lusty haze was lifted, I could see she was extremely concerned.

"No, but that's what True Blood is for, lover, don't worry about me. We do need to feed you though."

"You should have more then." She said quickly and stuck her wrist out to me.

I gently took her wrist in my grasp and lowered it to our sides. "Dear heart, what's going on?"

"Nothing." She shrugged. I knew it was a half-hearted lie on her part so I waited until she continued. I took only a few seconds. "It's just that Uncle Dermot said that the reason why you can stay out in the sun as long as you can is because of my sky fae blood and because of that fairy what's-his-name that you killed a few months ago. So the more fae blood you have, the longer you stay in the daylight without burning and so would you just take it?" She shoved her wrist at me again.

She was adorable.

And quite possibly insane.

I reached behind her and shut the water off. With my other hand, I lowered her wrist again and smiled. "No, my love, I won't. You need your strength."

"I'm not strong enough to win against Victor anyway, even with your blood."

We stepped out of the shower and I tossed her a big fluffy towel and damn did she look delectable when she reached up and grabbed it. I lost all train of thought for a minute and she arched an elegant eyebrow at me when she felt my renewed lust.

I was not going to be sidetracked though. This was a serious subject. While she had a legitimate argument, I wasn't willing to weaken her any more than was necessary to keep the bond strong.

"I do not relish the idea of you fighting anyone, Sookie, but given your past record, I can take heart that you will hold your own in a fight if need be. You bested Siegfried."

"With my car."

"With your ingenuity."

Wrapped in the fluffy towel, she followed me from the bathroom to the bedroom and right to the closet door as I rooted around inside for something to wear. "Remember that talk about being a team?"

"Yes, of course, I do. It was yesterday. I may be old, but I'm not feeble."

"Let me do my part."

"You _do_ do your part, you're the telepath." I countered, pulling on jeans.

"I'm also part-fairy."

I growled at her, plucked her up in my arms and fell onto the bed with her. "When you say that, I just want to rub myself all over your hot part-fairy body."

"Eric!" She shrieked, slapping my shoulder playfully. "Be serious!"

"I am, my love. It's sweet of you to offer yourself, but I sucked that full-blooded fairy dry a few months ago and my limit this morning was maybe five minutes. You do the math."

I nipped lightly at her shoulder and pushed myself off the bed and back into the closet in search of shirt. Sookie liked green on me, so I would need to find something green. I stopped my quest though when I felt disappointment wash through me. I sighed and turned to look at her. No, it wasn't disappointment, it was defeat and I didn't like that one bit.

"I can protect you too, you know." She whispered, lying flat on her back and looking up at the ceiling.

"Yes, I know. You have in the past, and with much style I must admit, and I'm sure you will again in the future with equal flare. But you cannot deny that you will need your strength. When the time for the fight comes, I will want nothing more than to have you by my side – well, no, right behind me is better. Male pride does have its place, you know. Your talents will have their place as well and I will use them, I promise." She rolled her eyes and I was perched above her in a flash. "And never forget that it is not _what_ you are that I love, but _who _you are."

A single tear escaped her eye and I bent down and kissed it away and she nodded her understanding. I pushed myself away again and disappeared back into the closet. "Now get up and get dressed." I called out. "Your stupid tiger is coming tonight."


	7. Chapter 7

7.

**A/N: All right so the last chapter did nothing to further the story. I popped open a bottle of wine Saturday afternoon and said, "What the hell! Let's get it on." But you don't care, right?**

**~Sookie~**

Fangtasia was empty of customers when we walked into the employee entrance. It would not open for another hour or so. Both vampire and human employees were making their preparations to open the doors for the evening. There were probably things I was supposed to be doing, there would be at Merlotte's, but I suppose being married to the boss had perks.

Pam met us as soon as we walked in. "The tiger's in the bar." She announced with a lip curl. "I didn't think he should wait in your office."

"Did he ask to?" Eric asked.

"No. But that's where you usually do business."

"The bar's fine." He nodded.

Pam spotted the ring around Eric's neck. I'm sure he had intentionally left it visible for various reasons. She hooked her pinky in it, raised it up and arched her eyebrow. "Cute." She merely commented and let it fall back against Eric's chest.

Whether she approved or disapproved, she gave no indication. She just stepped aside and allowed us to pass then followed along behind us. We entered the main portion of the bar hand-in-hand. Quinn was at the bar with a drink. He took one look at our show of solidarity, gave me a glare and turned his attention back to his beer.

How much fun was this not going to be?

I was dressed in jeans and a sweater. No way was I getting into that dress again before I absolutely had to. First of all, I would have frozen my ass off on the flight over; and secondly, well, it just wasn't my style.

"You're looking well, Sookie." Quinn finally broke the ice.

"Thank you. It's good to see you, Quinn." I replied tightly. If ever there was a time for me to control what went through the bond, this was it. It's not that I still harbored any romantic feelings for Quinn, but Eric was already irritated by his mere presence.

"Is it?" Quinn replied. I closed my eyes briefly.

"It was a figure of speech, tiger. Sookie's manners are impeccable; however, mine are known to be atrocious. What is the message from the king?" Eric demanded. Pam snickered behind us. I just wanted to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head or better yet, go back and have more aqua sex with my hot Viking. The evening started out pretty well.

"I'd like to talk to Sookie alone for a few minutes first." Quinn said.

"You know better than to ask that." Eric replied. He was all cold, hard business now. The calmer Eric gets, the worse it is for all involved.

Since I was unconscious at the time, I wasn't exactly sure what had happened between Eric and Quinn the last time I saw him, but I knew it wasn't good.

Quinn did know better than to make a request like that. I took a cruise through Quinn's head and found he was evaluating how tight the security was around me. I wasn't sure why that was. Was it because Quinn really just wanted to talk to me alone for a few minutes? Was it because he was under orders to snatch me for the king? It made me nervous and I had little compunction over sharing it with Eric. His response was immediate and subtle, dropping my hand and ever so gently pushing me slightly behind him. Pam stepped forward to counter her master's move.

Quinn approved.

I put my hands on Eric's shoulders, raised myself on my toes and whispered, "It's okay," in his ear. It changed nothing though.

"What is the message from the king?" Eric asked again.

"He is distressed by the rumors circulating." Quinn began.

"Rumors about what?" Pam asked. We all knew what Quinn was talking about, but I went along with it.

Quinn sighed, obviously not interested in playing the game. "The rumors about Victor Madden wanting to kidnap Sookie and turn her." Quinn said with obvious disgust.

"Are they rumors or are they orders?" Pam continued. I wondered why Eric wasn't doing the questioning then figured it was probably some kind of power show. Negotiating with the messenger boy must be below his pay grade.

"They're _rumors_." Quinn insisted. "The king asked that I remind you of his promise of protection and that he still takes that very seriously." Eric led me to a table in front of the bar and pulled a chair out for me. Once I was seated, away from Quinn, he began to pace in front of me. "He remembers that he owes Sookie a life in exchange for saving his and so if she wants it to be her life, so be it."

Oh, I get to keep my own life? That's awfully generous of him. I actually already figured on that part, being an American, a member of the human race and just generally a resident of this planet, but it's nice to have the assurance from the fucking King of Nevada!

"Easy, lover." Eric murmured quietly, touching my shoulder as he passed. Quinn didn't like that one bit. Quinn thought Eric brainwashed me. He thought Eric was turning me into a Renfield, a brainless human who would never be able to function on her own without a vampire calling all the shots. Quinn, as it turned out, wasn't thinking very highly of my ability to resist that sort of thing.

"What does the king plan to do about Victor?" Pam asked.

"Victor hasn't done anything yet." Quinn shrugged. "I went to New Orleans before I came here and could find nothing to substantiate the rumors. I think we should consider hiding Sookie somewhere else."

"_We_ considered that first." Pam hissed. They did? That must have been before Eric came and got me at Merlotte's. "And _we_ decided it would not be safe to have her somewhere _we_ couldn't get to her quickly. And has the king considered that this move is against Eric and it isn't just to get Sookie, but to take Louisiana?"

I hadn't really considered that myself. It makes sense, but I thought the main goal was to take me and turn me so he'd have a weapon the other vampires didn't. I assumed he planned to take out Eric if he had to, but I didn't think he'd challenge Felipe too.

"Yes, he has, which is why I am here; not only to ensure Sookie's safety, but to sure up support for the king." Quinn said very officially. "He wants assurance that if Victor moves against him, he will have your support, Eric."

Eric stopped pacing directly in front of me. "I have no desire to move against Felipe. Sookie does not wish to be turned and I will do whatever it takes to ensure that does not happen. I will slaughter whoever moves against her, tiger. If she is snatched from my side, I will take out anything in my way to find her. Hell hath no fury like a vampire seeking vengeance. I will bring forces with me that will make the wrath of God look like a temper tantrum. And if I were you, I would make that quite clear to Victor and Felipe."

Wow, that was hot.

"Felipe would like to hear your fealty from your own lips." Quinn said. "He is summoning you to Las Vegas."

Now how did I not see that coming?

"That, tiger, was burying the lead." Pam replied dryly.

Eric stood in front of me, studying me intently. I thought he was almost looking through me. I didn't need to be able to read his mind to know he was calculating the risks involved. Leaving my side left me open and vulnerable; taking me with him could be bringing me right into the lion's den. Was this all ordered by Felipe? Was going to Las Vegas offering ourselves up on a gilded platter? Who did we trust? Eric trusted no one but me and Pam.

"The king also wants me to stay with you as extra protection until you get to Las Vegas."

"That won't be necessary." Eric immediately dismissed.

"They were his orders." Quinn said more than triumphantly. _I promise I won't hurt you, Sookie. I will never hurt you._

I was startled by the direct thought from Quinn. Eric's eyes flashed from mine to Quinn's, picking up on what happened, if not the thought. He was uneasy having Quinn around and I couldn't blame him.

"Pam, would you assist Sookie in getting ready to open? I will make the travel arrangements." Translation: 'Don't let this fucking zoo exhibit near her.'

"Yes, of course, master. Come, Sookie. Let's get you in costume." Pam said holding out her hand to me. Quinn turned back to his beer with obvious intentions to stay right where he was.

I didn't complain as much when Pam vamped me up this time. I still didn't like it and the dress wasn't any more comfortable tonight.

"What did you make of all that?" I asked while she curled my hair.

"I don't think Felipe ordered Victor to come after you. I think maybe Victor wanted to get you, change you first, and then use what he believes your talent is to take on Felipe."

"Do you think Victor was hoping if he had me that Eric would swear fealty to him or do you think Victor was intending to just take Eric out?

"Eric would be too dangerous to Victor to keep him alive. He wants to take Eric out."

"I won't let that happen, Pam." I said confidently.

"That makes both of us, my favorite breather." She smiled slightly and applied heavy black eyeliner to my eyes.

When she gave me her stamp of approval, I went to Eric's office in search of my necklace and my man. He was on his laptop. I walked behind the desk and stretched myself across his lap. He was buying airline tickets. First class.

"Flying commercial?" I asked him surprised.

"We're going to travel at night." He shrugged.

"Two tickets?"

"I'm not the tiger's travel director." He snarled. "He can take the Barnum and Bailey train up."

"But I mean no one else is going? Not Pam? Not anyone other than the two of us?" I was surprised by this to say the least.

"Pam will stay behind and work with Amelia." He closed the lid of the computer, wrapped his arms around my waist and placed a kiss over my heart. He inhaled deeply. "Tell me something that isn't going to piss me off."

**I thought for a minute then said, "Today's word of the day is ****autoschediastical." ** **He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "I'll give you $1,000 if you can work that into a conversation tonight."** "**And if I lose that wager?"** **He kissed slow and leisurely from my shoulder to my ear. "Oh, I'll think of some form of payment, I'm sure."**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I have no idea why the last paragraph of chapter 7 bolded like that. That was strange. I didn't mean for it to be that way. **

8.

**~Eric~**

I set my laptop up in a booth in the corner of the bar. I have a direct line of sight to Sookie and her stupid tiger. Not only is this the best vantage point for observing, but I am within easy hearing distance too in case he pisses her off, which he tends to do easily.

I did have financial reports to review and I did make an effort to be serious about it, but I was easily distracted by Sookie and Quinn's conversation.

"You can stay on my end of the bar, Quinn, as long as you're not going to sit there all night and tell me everything I'm doing wrong in my life." She fired the opening shot.

"No, I tried that once, you're clearly not interested in hearing it." He replied tensely. I'd like to give him a lesson in manners. He's speaking to a lady. A lady who can not only kick his ass, but probably anyone in this room, including me, but a lady nonetheless. Sookie and Pam are both contradictory beings like that. They're both fierce fighters, will swear like a drunken sailor and nevermind what they can do in bed, yet I considered them both ladies. How is it that women can do that? I bet it was their manner of dress. They were both…girlie. It's nice for Pam to have a playmate as well. She certainly never gave a shit about the women I had before Sookie.

"I am not."

"I just wanted to make sure you were really all right." Quinn said more quietly.

"As you can see, I am." She smiled. She gave him her gentle smile. I didn't like it. She felt my jealousy because she looked over at me and gave me a better smile than he got. Ha.

"This can't possibly be what you want though." He continued.

"I'd like more of my freedom back, sure." She shrugged. "But it's temporary."

"That man has been trying to maneuver you into being under his constant control for years." Quinn really needed new material. How could he think she'd ever be happy to see him again if this was the way he acted as soon as he had the chance?

"_That man_," Sookie hissed. "has done ridiculous things for me." Oh shit. A line like that could only be embarrassing for me. "He's taken three bullets for me, wore lycra hot pants to an _orgy_ he couldn't have any fun at because I asked him to go to protect me, and put an extraordinary amount of money and effort into finding my boyfriend because I asked him to when it would have been in his best interests for Bill never to surface again." Correction. It was mortifying for me. Did she really need to bring up the hot pants? "That's just the tip of the ice berg."

What did I do to deserve this wonderful creature? Oh that's right, nothing. I wanted her so I found a way to just take her.

"I've known him longer than you."

"I know him better than you." She shot back. "This is a dead end subject for you. Let's talk about something else. How are things for you in Nevada?" Who cares?

"I've been moved from the pits to security." Quinn explained. I felt Sookie's relief. I did not like that either, but she cared about other people and though that made me crazy, if I wanted to keep her I had to at least pretend that I accepted that. "I know you're scared, but I promise you, all this was not the king's idea."

"It may not have been his idea, but that doesn't mean he didn't jump on the bandwagon when it came by." She countered. Sookie's very smart. She thinks of everything. She used to be more trusting of people and I'm sorry that was destroyed. Her naïveté when we met was quite charming.

"He hasn't jumped on the bandwagon, Sookie."

"And this isn't a trap for Eric?"

"Not to my knowledge."

Sookie laid her hands on the bar and leaned in close to Quinn. Despite the white noise of the bar, I heard her anyway. "To take out Eric is to take out me, Quinn. You understand that, right? We are blood bonded. I feel what he feels. If he is hurt, I will be hurt. I will bleed with him, just like he's bled with me before. It's not only emotional pain, but physical pain as well. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Quinn paused a minute while he processed that. She was earnest in her explanation. It was hard not to be affected by that. "I promise you, Sookie," he began. "I don't have any orders from the king, nor do I know of any he's given to anyone else to hurt you or Eric."

"I can't see a lie in your head right now." She said straightening up. "But I'll be looking, not only in your mind, but anyone else's I'm able to read."

"Where do you think Victor gets his theory from?" Quinn asked switching gears.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I've never given any indication I could hear vampires. In fact, I've adamantly denied it. If that was something I could do, I'd have probably been killed by now."

That's not necessarily true. In the beginning, I tested her abilities on various different levels. I wanted to know exactly what I had on my hands, what she could and couldn't do, what her limits were. Years later, I'm still not completely sure. But if she _could_ hear vampires and she was hiding it, I wanted to know. And it was because I wanted to keep her alive. The secret would have been absolutely safe with me. I wasn't particularly fond of the idea that she might be able to hear _me_, but I figured I could get used to that in favor of what I would gain: knowing when another vampire was lying to me. I thought I could learn how to shield my thoughts.

There were two occasions when I intentionally tried to let her into my mind. The first was when Long Shadow embezzled money from the bar. Sookie seemed terrified of the whole situation. She had raised the possibility that maybe the culprit wasn't human, which ended up being true. She said she couldn't hear vampire thoughts and I decided to test that, specifically trying to reassure her that I had no desire to draw unwanted attention to myself. I merely wanted to find out who had betrayed us and make them pay, one way or the other. She gave no indication that she heard me.

I tried again on one other occasion, when she was kissing me inside the house of that ridiculous orgy. My motives then were entirely selfish. I didn't give a flying shit _why _she was kissing me, only that she was. We were completely open to each other and she had just asked me to get her out of there. Instead of speaking, I responded telepathically. I still don't know if she heard me or not. She said she has never heard my thoughts. That was both disappointing and strange to me considering the two times I intentionally made the effort.

Again, I wouldn't want her to be able to hear all my thoughts all the time, but if I was able to send her a thought and be reasonably confident she received it? That would be something else. It certainly would have come in handy in other situations in the past and it would be very valuable in the immediate future. Perhaps it is part of her gift that needs to be experimented with more.

"Somebody sold you out, babe." Quinn frowned into his beer. Where does he get off calling another man's woman 'babe?'

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." She was snarky in her reply. I stood up and stretched. I was weary of the tiger having her attention. I closed the laptop and walked through the bar. I didn't stop to speak with any of the customers or staff but made my way to the bar as Sookie and Quinn continued their conversation.

"What are you going to do when your debt to the king is paid?" Sookie asked him. She saw me coming and immediately put a bottle of True Blood in to heat up.

"Return to the business probably." Quinn replied with a shrug. "What else would I do?"

"Oh, I don't know." She looked over at me and tossed me a saucy smile. "Why don't you try being autoschediastical?" Quinn's jaw dropped.

Fuck.

"Pam!" I called out. "I need my checkbook!"

**~Sookie~**

"You cheated." Eric said for the fifth time.

"I didn't cheat!"

"You _lead_ him there."

"The bet was to work it into a conversation. I did that. There were no other rules."

I crossed my arms and settled back into my seat in first class. Eric was getting plenty of looks from the other passengers as they boarded. He was quite the sight stretched out the way he was and grinning at me. Once the humans got over the shock of Eric, they went back into coach and got a load of Quinn.

"You're very clever."

"And _you're_ out $1,000." I countered.

"I don't mind." He shrugged. "Losing to you is a delight. But I'm still trying to decide if you used it correctly."

"What are you, the grammar police?" I shot back.

He chuckled in response and then started studying the crew and other passengers. I grabbed the window seat when he boarded and he didn't seem to care. I turned now and snuggled into his shoulder, linking the fingers of my left hand with his left hand. I dropped my chin on his shoulder and glanced around the cabin.

"Make sure you get everyone on the plane, lover." He said quietly. Reading the thoughts of all the passengers and crew on the plane was going to be exhausting and probably give me a headache. I would think he was being paranoid, but after what happened in Dallas, I figured anything was possible.

"There's another vampire on the crew." I said softly, though I'm sure she probably heard me.

"Yes, she's in the back." He replied. "And I'll spend the entire flight making sure I know exactly where on the plane she is."

The first class cabin's flight attendant began seeing to her passengers. She's very pretty and very perky.

_Oh. My_. She had spotted Eric. _Oh yum!_ "I'm Cindy. I'll be your flight attendant this evening. Is there anything I can get you?" She never looked at me, just Eric.

Eric turned to me and kissed the back of my hand, then said softly. "Is there anything you need, my love?"

"No, I'm fine." I replied then smiled brightly up at Cindy. She was scowling at me. She couldn't understand what a vampire as hot as Eric was doing with a little Southern country bumpkin like me.

Eric looked back up at stupid Cindy and when she met his eyes, he put a whammy on her. "We're fine. Thank you, Cindy. You don't need to bother us during the flight. We'll signal you if we need anything."

"All right, sir. You just let me know if there's anything you need." I recognized the glazed over look in her eyes and monotone voice as she walked away.

"Was that really necessary?" I asked him when we were alone again.

"No, not at all." He said quite candidly. "But it was fun." I settled my head back on his shoulder. "Why don't you give the vamp in the back a try?" I picked my head up again and looked at him in surprise.

"What?"

"It's happened before." He shrugged. "It's worth a shot, right?"

"I – I guess so." I sputtered. I leaned around him to look into the back cabin. She was standing in the aisle about half-way down going through the pre-flight safety routine. I could tell she was straining to move at a speed humans could see.

I closed my eyes and closed off the minds of all the other passengers and focused on the one empty spot that belong to her. It was a little distracting because there was another empty spot, Eric's. I felt guilty about that one. I was really going to have to tell him I'd heard him before. And that was going to be ugly with a capital U.

She was hazy. Her clarity wasn't that good. It almost sounded like I couldn't get the frequency of the radio, but for some fragments, which is something I guess.

"She's worried about the vampire and shifter on board." I said with my eyes closed.

"Really? Why?" Eric asked gently.

"She thinks you've been sent to kill her."

"Interesting. Why does she think that?"

"I don't know." I shook my head and opened my eyes, locking on his. "She's not thinking that now."

"You should try again later and see. Maybe Quinn knows her. Maybe it's an ally that wants her dead. It's always good to be owed favors."

"You don't even know her!"

"Which is why I would not care so much if she were dead."

I shook my head and sat back against my seat. I still don't understand the way he thinks.

"And Quinn's not an assassin." I muttered.

"Sookie, dear one, all of us had lives before you entered them. We all have a past. We've all done things so shocking it would curl your hair. Remember that. It could be deadly to forget it."

I let his words sink in for a minute. I'm not sure anyone has seen more keenly what Eric is capable of more than me. _Everything _he is capable of; all of the good and all of the bad. And yet, each time he says something like that I'm shocked. Maybe because I know he harbors so much love for me that it must be offset by something as well. In order to be balanced, there has to be the rest.

"Try me." He said suddenly. I was startled out of my reverie and looked at him in surprise.

"Excuse me."

"Try to read me."

"I -" The gig's up, Sook; time to pay the band. "I – I already know I have. I didn't try! It just happened." Here it comes. At least I'm on a plane with many witnesses; one of whom is Quinn, so if Eric gets too out of hand, Quinn will step in which will make the situation worse, but divert Eric's ire to him instead of me. Yes, I know I'm a coward.

Eric lets out a breath (that he didn't need to hold) and sits back against the seat. "You're _afraid_ of me right now? You're _afraid?_" Great. I'm just making it worse and worse now. He's mad that I lied and upset that I'm scared. This is a great combination.

"Eric, I'm so sorry!" The tears began to pour down my cheeks and I latched onto his arm. "I didn't _try_. I wasn't prying or anything. The thoughts just…popped in there! It's not like I was trying to find anything out! I was so afraid! It's not something I can just _do_ and I couldn't stand the thought of being 'Rent-a-Telepath,' not to the FBI, not the vampires, not to the Weres, not to anybody."

"Sshhh…" He says quietly. He unbuckled my seatbelt and pulled me across to sit on his lap. I curled up into his chest and allowed myself to feel the wave of calm he was giving me. "Lover, I'm not mad. I know you weren't trying to hear me and the reason I know is because I _sent_ you those thoughts. When you didn't respond, I thought it didn't work. I was testing your limits."

"You _wanted_ me to hear you?" I asked surprised and wiping the tears from my face.

"At those moments, yes. There were just two times, correct?"

"Yes."

"_We need to perfect this Sookie. Maybe it'll be easier now because of the bond."_

"Okay." I nodded into his chest and he chuckled. I looked up to see what was so funny.

"Maybe it will not be so hard after all." He murmured, pushing my hair behind my ear and wiping away a tear from my cheek. "I did not say that out loud."

My eyes widened and I dropped my forehead to his shoulder and shook my head in dismay.


	9. Chapter 9

9.

**~Sookie~**

"Lover, that's disgusting."

"What?" I replied around a big mouthful of beef. "My burger?"

"Yes." Eric looks thoroughly disgusted. For a guy that drinks _blood _to sustain himself, I don't think he should be so judgmental.

"A girl's got to eat." I shrug and then dove in again, giving a little moan just to see him squirm.

"Yes, but that?"

"Red meat has a lot of iron, Eric." I said tersely. "I need as much iron as I can get."

"See, your words and actions are saying one thing to me, but I can feel that you are not as into your meal there as you want me to think you are."

"All right, if you must know, I'm not. Red meat tends to make me feel nauseous after I eat, but like I said, I need the iron."

"I think it makes you nauseous _because_ of the iron, Sookie, you are part fairy and iron is deadly to fairies."

Well…shit. I put my burger down and frowned at my plate. "You know, that would make a lot of sense, but I'm more human and humans need iron."

"Sookie, your fairy DNA, if that is what it can be called, is more dominant in you than your brother. It's the same reason why in a family of brunettes there is one blonde child. Recessive genes can be more prevalent in some cases. In your case, you have a low tolerance for iron."

"How do you know all this?"

"When you have an eternity to live, you get a lot of reading time." He rose up from the table and crossed the suite to the hotel phone. "Chicken?"

"Yes, please." I muttered. I crossed the room and threw myself onto the couch while he ordered me a second dinner.

"Why aren't you nervous?" I demanded when he hung up the phone. I sat up and glared at him.

"About what?" He asked in surprise. He walked over, sat on the coffee table in front of me and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Going to see Felipe. What if it's a trap? You don't feel nervous."

"At the moment, you are nervous enough for both of us."

"Of course I am! I could lose you tonight. You could lose me -"

"Not tonight I won't." He cut me off, rose back up and paced away from me.

"But you will one day." I said softly. "What will you do then?" I was mostly curious, but when I felt a wave of grief from him, I grew worried. "What _will_ you do then?" He tossed me an incredibly annoyed look and then blatantly ignored the question. "Eric, I am going to grow old and die. Or maybe I won't even get the opportunity to grow old. At the rate I'm going, I'll be picked off long before then. What will you do when I'm gone?"

"What difference will it make?" He hissed back. "You will be gone. What does it matter what I am doing then?"

"It matters to me. I want to know you'll be all right. I mean, I just assume you'll go back to the way things were or maybe find someone else -"

"You cannot _possibly_ be serious."

"You had to have thought about it." I insisted. "I'm human; I have a lifespan. I'm going to grow old and be very unattractive. You're intelligent; you have to have thought of what's next."

"What was _next_ was to turn you and keep you." He was very upset now. This was a bad road to go down it seems. But sooner or later we would have had to take it. What human girl in my position wouldn't want to know this? "You don't want that. There is no plan B. I am still hoping you will change your mind."

"And when I don't?" I challenged.

"A thousand years is a pretty good run of it." He shrugged.

My mouth dropped open and I sat there stunned. He looked away from me. I imagine that was something he was never going to share. But as usual, I kept at him and kept at him and made him tell me something I in no way wanted to hear.

The room felt like it was closing in on me. I popped up off the couch and ran for the door. I should have known I wouldn't make it. He was in front of me and blocking the door before I even registered he moved.

"Where are you going?" He demanded grabbing my upper arms.

"I have to get out of here." I squeaked, gasping for air.

"No. That is typical Sookie. You run out on a situation you don't like and then end up getting beaten up. You are staying here and dealing with it."

He let go of my arms. I knew I wasn't getting out of that room. Fine. He could have it his way. I let the tears and the sobs come. I didn't try to hide any of my pain. I wanted him to feel every bit of it. All my grief. All my humanness.

I turned my back on him. "You have to promise me you won't do that."

"No." He said softly into my ear as his arms came tightly around me. It was meant as comfort, but it only made me cry harder.

"You've always been here. You have to exist, Eric, you just _have_ to."

"If you don't have to, my love, why do I?" He countered. "It has taken a thousand years for me to find love. I am supposed to wait a thousand years more in case it might happen again? You are not replaceable, lover. I cannot bear your death any more than you could bear mine."

"You're the strongest person I know. You can get through anything."

"I could not get through that, Sookie." One arm stayed tight around me and the other came up to stroke my hair. "Nor would I want to get through that."

"What about Pam?"

"She would be free."

"She loves you, you idiot!"

"I am aware of that." He said tensely. "_You_ are making the exact same decision by not wanting to be turned. You are killing yourself."

"It's not the same -"

"It IS the same!" He roared, pushing me away and spinning me around to look into his fierce eyes. They looked like an ocean storm, angry and powerful. "It is the same to me. You do not want to be turned; I do not want to live through your death."

"You're holding my mortality hostage."

"That is not what it is." But it was and we both knew it. When I went, he went. It was tragic and stupid.

"Maybe Amelia will hex you and you'll forget." I said with a little laugh. I could feel him calm down a bit as he gently took my face in his hands.

"I would not want to forget you, my lover." He whispered, kissing first my forehead and then my lips. "A witch's curse would not hold the first time. I remembered everything. What we have is stronger than that. With great love comes great loss."

"I can't accept that." I shook my head.

"Like I said, you will be gone." He shrugged again and turned away from me, moving back into the main living room of the suite.

No, I would not accept that. I picked up the closest thing to me, a golden statue of something, and hurled it at him at a startling velocity. Of course, he turned and caught it without a flinch…for that or the next thing I threw…or the thing after that.

When I stopped to reload, he was back in front of me. He grabbed my wrists and held them down at my side as I struggled against him. It was no effort at all for him and it was only myself I was tiring out.

"I can think of better ways to work off your anger."

"You bastard." I said through my tears.

"_Anbud hjärta_." He whispered, lightly kissing my neck.

"And now you're going to speak in a language I don't know."

"I said 'tender heart.' I forget sometimes how tender hearted you are." He let go of my wrists, cupped my face again and kissed the tears away. "You are feisty, fierce, loyal, strong, protective and have the most tender heart of anyone I have ever encountered. The last few days you have been like a tigress. How could I not want you with me forever? How could I not want the next thousand years with this fire? And if the fire is out, why would I want to be here? You are my light, Sookie. In you, I have the sun. I have no desire to go back to darkness."

If he thought I wouldn't notice he was now slowly pulling me toward the bed, he was wrong. But frankly, I was now just too tired to fight anymore. He laid me gently down and kissed all around my face, down my neck, around my chest.

"_Sookie…_"

"No." I said forcefully snapping my mind shut. "You don't get to do that. You don't get to be in my head now."

"_But I am. I am everywhere in you and you are everywhere in me. It's ridiculous to deny it. I am sorry you are upset. I am sorry that I put these tears in your eyes."_

"Take it back and I'll stop crying."

"Live forever with me and we never have to think about it again." He volleyed back.

"Why are you so intent on turning me when you yourself have told me so many times that vampire relationships never last?"

"Because we will be the exception." He said confidently. "We are already married and we are already blood bonded. There has never been anything like us."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Because you still consider yourself human."

"And what do _you_ consider me?"

"Unique."


	10. Chapter 10

10.

**~Eric~**

Pam would say I handled that badly. I would never have told her that in first place. There is much I wouldn't and haven't told her because it would upset her too much. I detest when Sookie cries. Pam refers to it as "leaking." It has always been painful to see Sookie cry, more so if it is because of something I have said.

It has fallen to me more times than I am comfortable with to be the one to break Sookie's heart right down the middle.

I'm not going to lie to her though. I have never lied to her. I haven't always told her everything, but everything that has come out of my mouth has been truth.

Mostly.

So I wasn't going to die if she didn't suck that bullet out in Dallas. I never _told _her the bullet would kill me, just that it would heal inside me. She drew her own false conclusions on that.

Mostly.

She trusts me. Whether she has loved me or loathed me (and with her, there has always been a very fine line between the two), she has always trusted me, which is something I have always found fucked up. But she would look at me with those big endless blue eyes and I agreed to the most ridiculous things; anything to stay in her good graces; anything to show her I was the one she should be with.Getting her wasn't the easiest accomplishment and keeping her has proven to be harder.

She was tense and trembling as we walked into Felipe's mansion with Quinn following. She thinks I'm crazy for not bringing back up with me from Louisiana. I would like to storm the place with my entire retinue, but that would be poorly played. I don't think Felipe is behind this. I would like to think Quinn wouldn't have lead Sookie into a trap like this.

We stopped outside the closed doors of the king's audience chamber. I turned and looked over my shoulder at Sookie. _"Stay behind me."_ She took my hand and squeezed it. To anyone else, it looked like a nervous gesture, but I was confident she was acknowledging that she heard me.

The grand double doors opened out towards us and we were lead across the massive and elegant room to the king, who thankfully was not dramatic enough to be sitting on a throne. He was before a large stone hearth with plush sofas and chairs in front of it.

"Miss Stackhouse!" Felipe greeted with a large smile. "I'm glad to see you are well. I've heard very distressing things these last few days."

"Your majesty." Sookie inclined her head. As much as she hated "vampire political shit," she was a hell of a diplomat…when she wanted to be.

"Eric, I trust the trip was uneventful."

"There was a vampire on the plane, your majesty." I tossed out there.

"She was not there at my orders." The king showed the proper amount of shock.

"That is reassuring, my lord." And complete bullshit.

"Quinn, why don't you bring Sookie to the dining room for something to eat."

First order of business, split us up.

Sookie squeezed my hand tighter and stepped closer to me. "Thank you, your majesty, I already ate."

"Refreshment?" the king followed up.

"I'm fine, thank you." I stifled a chuckle.

"Quinn, please take Sookie someplace comfortable while I speak to Eric alone." He was less pleasant in this command.

"Yes, your majesty." Quinn said with a bow of his head. There was a pause while Sookie looked from Quinn to Felipe, reading them for danger no doubt. She looked at me when Quinn took her upper arm. She could read minds clearer with direct contact. I didn't know if she got anything off of Felipe. She didn't give me any indication if she did.

Outwardly, I showed nothing but indifference, nothing that would indicate that this wasn't exactly what I expected, which it was. But inwardly, I sent her so much confidence and reassurance, she was almost peppy walking out of here. I could have done without Quinn's 'I'm walking out of here with your woman and I'm going to use every minute of my time with her to convince her to dump your sorry ass,' smirk.

"I am always fascinated by watching you two." Felipe opened when the door closed behind Sookie and Quinn.

"And why is that, your majesty?" I asked turning back to the king.

"Come now, Eric. I've known you for centuries and this is the first time I've gotten the impression that you've given a shit about anyone other than yourself. You've even seemed like you were indifferent towards your child."

"Well, you know how frustrating children can be." I shrugged. I did not get to where I am today by being stupid and flaunting my weaknesses. Both he and I knew that I was the most powerful sheriff in America; we both knew I could take Louisiana if I wanted it. When Felipe took over, we were weakened. And since I had no desire to be king, I did not bother with any sort of defensive plan. It was easy to pick off the other sheriffs and leave me for last. At the time, I figured anybody would be better than the incapacitated Sophie Anne.

I got Victor; and I was wrong.

"I've always admired you, Eric." Felipe began to pace in front of me. I watched him the entire time. "Our kind immigrates to your area. They _want_ to serve you. If you wanted to, you could be a much more powerful king than I." And a big fat target.

"Ever since your telepath revealed herself -"

"She has _not_ revealed herself." I growled. "She was hunted down by Sophie Anne."

"Details." Felipe waved his hand. "Everyone knows about her now. And since Sophie Anne started bragging about her, _you_ have become much more defensive."

"The danger to her continues to increase. What good is she to anybody if she is dead?"

"And how long do you think you can keep what she is a secret?"

"She is a telepath; and it's not a very big secret anymore, as you have just pointed out."

"She is part fairy."

Fuck.

"Who told you that?"

"I don't reveal my sources, Eric." The King chided with a smile. I wonder if he got that from Quinn. That would be very disappointing. Bill and I have taken great pains to ensure there were very few people that knew that.

"It is a very _minimal_ part." I stressed. "I didn't know myself until she told me."

"The genes are very dominant in her." He countered. Ironic that I just had this conversation with Sookie earlier. "Dr. Ludwig is here. I was hoping you would indulge me and allow her to perform some tests?"

"I will indulge no such thing." I hissed. The anger in me was building to a boil. I could not feel anything amiss with Sookie, so wherever she was, she was not being harmed. I also could not feel her influence, which likely meant she didn't know whether to restrain my anger or not. I imagine if she knew Felipe wanted to do scientific testing on her, she'd let it fly.

"A physical, blood tests; no electric shock therapy or anything that will make her at all uncomfortable." The King assured. "Aren't you curious, Eric? Fairies live for centuries. Don't you want to know if she'll be one of them? Does she have a fairy lifespan or a human lifespan?" Well, that confirms it. Our room is bugged. "If she is going to be around for centuries, why turn her?"

Yes, of course I wanted to know. I was prepared to endure a painful, fiery death when she died, the longer I could put that off, the better.

"Unfortunately," Felipe continued, "her father was murdered, so we don't know how long he might have gone, but her grandfather had quite a few years on him before he was murdered." My face went rock hard. Felipe knew everything. "I did my homework before I came for you, Eric. Why do you think I stripped away all your defenses first? How convenient that you went right to her. I suspect had you stayed at Fangtasia, Victor and his forces would have had to actually fight you. But he did not have orders to kill you; your people, yes, if he had to, but _you_ were to be left unharmed. Well, you and Sookie.

"Sophie Anne liked to brag." He confessed. I should have known. "I am not the only sovereign who knows about your wife. And let me say, attaching yourself to her the way you have was sheer brilliance on your part. I see her just as you have: an asset to be protected. As long as you are under my dominion, I have you to see to the details of that. I know her value, just as you do. Victor does not know what she is, not from me. He is after the telepath. I do not know what turning one such as Sookie will create. She might not be something we can control and in the end might be something we have to destroy."

Over my flaking dead fucking body.

But then I thought of the disaster that became Alexi. No, Sookie would never be that. If I were her maker, I could control her. I was positive of it. But I would not turn her as long as she was against it. The very second she changed her mind however…

"So there you have it. All you need to do, after consenting to the tests Dr. Ludwig needs, is continue to do what you're doing. If my theory is correct, a decision on turning her wouldn't need to be made for centuries. You stay in my kingdom and she will continue to enjoy my official protection. Meet these few requirements and she will not be marked as something that needs to be destroyed. Not by me at any rate."

I felt cornered and scared. I was being left with no choice. When Sookie got wind of this, she was going to freak out, as Pam liked to call it. The idea of testing was going to terrify her. But I would be lying if I didn't admit that I was selfishly curious on what Dr. Ludwig's tests would find in terms of Sookie's lifespan. How could I not want to know that? Felipe knew exactly what buttons to push. He was hitting us both where lived at the same time.

"There is, of course, one little caveat to the plan." Of course there is. Would this never end? "Let's bring your wife back in, shall we?" Felipe pressed a button on a phone then turned back to me. "She should be here when she hears my orders. I understand couples like to discuss these things together."

"What orders, my lord?" I said through clenched teeth. I'd had about enough of the King of Nevada.

"I'd like you to go to New Orleans and take out Victor."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I uploaded chapter 10 twice. For the life of me, I don't know why it dropped words. Towards the beginning, it should have read: "…anything to show her I was the one she should be with.**__**Getting her wasn't the easiest accomplishment and keeping her has proven to be harder." It makes absolutely no sense without the dropped words. Sorry about that. I don't know what happened there.**

11.

**~Sookie~**

And the hits just kept on coming.

As soon as the door opened to readmit Quinn and I, I heard Felipe's request.

"And you think _I'm_ the best one for that, your majesty?" Eric asked. He looked paler than usual. I felt his anger swell earlier, immediately followed by helplessness, which was not a good sign.

"Yes, of course. You're the most powerful; you have a legion of followers; you're a notorious warrior and Victor is terrified of you. Normally, when someone in my kingdom has tried to bite off more than I have fed them this kind of thing would fall to Victor, but in this particular case…"

So Eric was to become Felipe's new muscle. How long was it going to be until Felipe thought Eric had to be taken out?

I ran to Eric's side. I didn't care if it made me look weak because I was the weakest one in the room and we all knew it. My arms circled around his waist and I buried my head in his shoulder. I was hoping to give him some sort of calm. My Eric-meter was shooting off the chart. He wrapped one arm around me in response and murmured into my ear, "You are well? I didn't feel anything."

"Yes, I'm fine." I whispered. Nothing interesting to report. Quinn and I just hung out in the next room, while he tried to convey that if anything ever happened to Eric, he'd take me back; he'd protect me. It was good to know and I even refrained from telling him that if anything ever happened to Eric, it would either A) happen to me too; or B) I'd end up in an insane asylum. I'm not Renfield, but I am very much attached to my vampire.

"_Good. Because there is nothing you will like about this."_ He replied.

"Sookie, we were just about to start a discussion and I did not want to leave you out of it. I have big plans for your master."

My master my fucking foot.

"We're going on another trip?" I packed as much Southern belle naiveté into that question as I possibly could.

"Yes, my darling." Eric said smoothly. "The king has a special assignment for us in New Orleans."

"One of my favorite cities." I smiled. Not. Eric smirked. It ranked right up there with Jackson and Dallas.

"I assume, Miss Stackhouse, given the threats made against you, that you would have no objection to me sending a royal contingent to New Orleans to arrest Mr. Madden." Arrest, my ass.

"That contingent is to be led by Eric?" I asked.

"Yes. I am promoting the sheriff to something of a royal enforcer." Is that supposed to be a nice way to say 'the king's thug?'

I turned to Eric and smiled sweetly. "Congratulations, baby; I'm so proud." He squeezed my side in warning and chuckled for Felipe's benefit.

"You will have to be very stealthy, I'm afraid, as you will not have the element of surprise on your side, I am sure." The king said and I almost believed he was reluctantly informing us of that. Victor is not a stupid man. I'm sure he knows exactly where we are right now. Felipe said nothing more on the subject, as I'm sure he was going to leave the brilliant plan to oust Victor up to Eric.

"You will be able to rest peacefully, my dear." The king continued. "I just ask one thing in return."

"_This is what you're not going to like." _Eric squeezed me side again. Like I was oh so thrilled with the first part.

As the king ran through his theory of my genetics and the presence of Dr. Ludwig in the palace, my breath began to come in small gasps. I pulled back from Eric, but he grabbed my hand. Experiments? I was to be _tested_? With these crazy fuckers that could mean anything.

I looked from Eric to the king and back to Eric again and yanked my hand away. I took a few steps back from him. "You agreed to this?" My incredulous tone revealed my feeling of betrayal.

"Not exactly." He said softly.

I looked around the room in panic. There had to be a rabbit hole around here somewhere I could escape into.

"What _exactly_ did you agree to?"

"I think," Felipe said, "this is the part where I should leave you to discuss this. Call for Quinn when you've decided."

I gulped for breath as Felipe and Quinn left the room and closed the door behind them. Eric gently led me to the plush sofa in front of the fire and took my face in his hands. "Sookie, I strongly objected to this."

"Not strongly enough."

"Look at me."

I shut my eyes and shook my head.

"_Look at me!"_

I did. He was blurry through my hazy tear-filled eyes, but I felt his desperation. "I hate the idea, Sookie, I hate it. He knows what you are, the queen told him; he knows everything." He started rambling and switching between telling me things out loud and telling me things telepathically. _"Our room is bugged. He heard our conversation earlier. _Felipe doesn't think you should be turned. He thinks you will live longer than the average human and will continue to grant you his official protection."

I would not ask my question out loud. If our hotel room was bugged, I'm sure this chamber was as well. I didn't need to ask it. Eric and I were too much in tune for him not to know what I was thinking right now. _"And if you are aging at a normal human rate, I will take you as far away as I have to to keep you safe. _He says it will be nothing painful and I will be with you every second to ensure it, I promise you. _Sookie, we have no choice. Remember when I said we would be used against each other? He is doing it. He will kill me and turn you. _Felipe doesn't see a reason to turn you if you'll be around for a while._"_

"Around for a while? I could walk out onto the strip and get hit by a bus full of tourists!"

"I've healed you from far worse than that." He smiled and pushed my hair back from my face then wiped my tears away with his thumbs. _"Lover, I think you are still discovering who you are and what you can do, what you can be and what we can be together and I want you to be able to do that on your own and not under any threats."_

I let out a shuddered breath and nodded. "Don't leave my side, okay?"

"I won't; I promise."

He called out to Quinn who returned with the king. Felipe was overjoyed, naturally, at my acquiesce, not that I had any other option. When he summoned Dr. Ludwig, she immediately insisted on my coming with her alone. I screamed, "No!" and threw myself at Eric.

He stroked my hair and looked at Felipe. "She's scared, your majesty. She does not want to go alone. I would stay with her, with your permission."

"Ah, the fairer sex." Felipe smiled. "Some of us really are powerless against their charms. And Miss Stackhouse here seems to have more charm than others of her kind."

Dr. Ludwig led us out of the main hall and down several corridors. Quinn followed along behind us. I found it a little strange that he escorted us inside, but then there were probably those here loyal to Victor. Everyone in the vampire community had spies everywhere else.

We entered a small medical examination room. I pressed myself against Eric and he rubbed my back.

"I'll be right outside, Sook." Quinn whispered over my shoulder and then closed the door. He didn't like this plan any more than Eric did.

I looked apprehensively at the examination table and then yelped when I saw the obstetrical stirrups. "I am NOT submitting to that. Eric, do not let her do that to me."

"What the hell are they?" Eric asked.

"Unpleasant." I spat out. "And she'll go someplace you don't want anyone but you going."

"Sookie's not doing that." He denied immediately.

"You will not need that." Dr. Ludwig shrugged. "We can always arrange a follow up if need be. I do not know why you think I haven't been there before with you." I thought I was going to throw up. I didn't want to think about what this doctor had done to me while I was unconscious. I assumed she was referring to any examinations she had done after my rescue from the fairies.

Dr. Ludwig set various empty vials down on her counter and unwrapped needles from their sterile packages. I started to feel very sick to my stomach. I shouldn't; I knew that. I've seen my blood taken by vampires often enough, but somehow in this environment it made me very nervous.

"How much blood have you taken from her recently, vampire?"

"A very small amount." Eric said defensively.

"I will have to take a bit." Dr. Ludwig explained wheeling over a metal pole with an empty plastic bag and setting it up next to the exam table. "Can you give her some of yours to replace it, or have you two fucked that up?"

"She is able to take what she needs." Eric hissed in return. By 'fucked that up,' I assumed she was referring to this mysterious unsafe level Eric fears. I think it is the level of vampire blood in a human that creates a Renfield.

"On the table." Dr. Ludwig ordered. "Make sure she doesn't fall off, vampire."

I lay down on the table and Eric pulled up a chair next to me. He gently draped one arm across my shoulders and stroked my hair with the other. "Calm down, my love." He whispered as I felt his emotional influence roll through me in gentle waves. "I will not let her do anything too awful."

"I'm sure our definitions of 'too awful' are very different." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

"_You are very brave, lover. You are brave and beautiful."_

As it turned out, it was mostly similar to a routine physical. After Dr. Ludwig drew the blood she needed, Eric bit into his wrist and replaced it. She took measurements, a hair sample, a saliva sample, vital signs and family history, to the extent I knew it. The only thing I didn't appreciate was when she took a scalpel and nicked off a piece of my skin. I yelped in horrified surprise and Eric hissed at her. He punctured his finger and squeezed a few drops of blood onto the tiny wound and it closed right up, leaving no scar.

And that was it.

"I'll call you." Dr. Ludwig said as Eric helped me sit up.

"What? That's it? When?" I demanded.

"When I have concluded my tests."

"Are you going to do them here?"

"No. I have a lab." She made a shooing motion with her hands. "It is almost dawn. Take your vampire and go back to your hotel."

Quinn led us back to the front door. Apparently, Felipe didn't need to see us again and we were being allowed to leave. Eric pulled me on his back and took off for the hotel. I spent precious little time in cars lately. Very few vampires had the capability to fly, so he could be pretty sure we weren't going to be accosted in the air, as we had been a few times on a roadside.

"That was strange." Eric said as we reentered our hotel room.

"What do you mean?" I asked tossing my key onto the table by the door of the suite and toeing out of my shoes. I was starved and I walked across the living room in search of the room service menu. Dawn was coming and Eric was getting pretty tired. I was tired myself, but very hungry. "I was subjected to medical research testing in the name of vampire science, _after_ the King of Nevada bullied my…" Eric grinned at me. "…significant other…" He sneered and walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of True Blood. "…into paramilitary service. Which part specifically are you referring to?"

"You getting medical tests run and me comforting you like a normal husband, it was all very …normal."

"Baby, we will never be normal." I laughed.

"No, I guess not." He sighed. He walked into the bedroom and pulled off his clothes. "Come to bed with me, lover."

"I'm going to order food and watch t.v. a bit while I eat. Then I'll be in." I called back.

He sighed and flopped down onto the bed. "I wish I had half the power over you Felipe thinks I do." Then with a groan he was dead to the world. I smiled at his naked prone form on the bed and pulled the blanket over him and chuckled. That was a very normal thing to do too. He wasn't in danger of getting cold.

I changed into flannel pants and a t-shirt and went back into the living. I moved to fix myself a drink but saw that all the ice was melted. I suppose I could ask room service to bring up some more with my meal, we were in a classy hotel, after all. But then I thought that was lazy. I was used to doing things for myself. I grabbed the bucket and my key and stepped out into the hall.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind me, a hand clamped over my mouth


	12. Chapter 12

12.

**~Sookie~**

I knew right away my attacker was human. I could so take this guy. I stomped on his instep, elbowed him in the stomach and then turned around and slammed my knee up into his groin. There was a lamp on the table down the hall. While he was writhing in stunned pain on the floor, I grabbed the lamp and bashed it over his head. He was out like a light, no pun intended.

Wow. He was easy. It was probably the thousand year old vampire blood I had an hour or so ago. Or maybe I'm just used to fighting beings with supernatural strength that humans don't take much effort for me.

I unlocked the door to our room and dragged him inside, then went to retrieve the lamp, went back into our room and locked the door. I found a pair of scissors in the desk and snipped off the cord of the lamp, then picked up another lamp and did the same.

Eric stumbled into the living room while I was struggling to prop up the unconscious man in a chair.

"What the hell is going on?"

"This creep attacked me in the hall."

"Are you hurt?"

"No. Go back to bed. I'm going to tie him to the chair and you can scare the shit out of him when you get up."

I knew the Herculean effort it took for him to make it that far so I let him off the hook. Instead of returning to the bedroom though, he opted to collapse onto the couch. I went into the bedroom and rummaged him up a pair of pajama pants and slid them on him with a bit of effort. Then I covered him with a blanket again.

After I was sure the binding holding our guest captive was tight enough, I flipped on the t.v. while I waited for my food to arrive. The thug in the chair hadn't come to yet before I finished my meal, so after I slid the empty dishes back out into the hall, I sat down on the couch with Eric and eased his head into my lap, then waited.

I was exhausted, but there was no way I was going to sleep with this guy in here. What if he got loose while we were sleeping? There was no way I could get Eric into the bedroom where he would be safer while he slept. I thought about calling Quinn for help, but what if he was sent by Felipe? No, I couldn't take the chance. My unknown assailant was human, I was positive of that. And so I could always club him with the lamp again if he looked like he might actually get free of his binds.

I must have hit him harder than I thought because he didn't regain consciousness until the late afternoon. By then, I was very strung out. I had gone through a pot and a half of coffee and had room service deliver again.

"What the hell happened?" the man groaned opening his eyes and squinting against the light. I didn't envy him the headache he must have.

"I kicked your ass." I replied.

"_You_ did?" he was insultingly incredulous.

"Who sent you?"

"I'm not telling you shit, lady."

I shrugged as if it made no difference to me. It didn't actually. I was just going to cruise around his head while I waited for Eric to wake up and deal with him.

"Who's that?" the guy asked jerking his chin toward Eric.

"A very old vampire who is going to be extremely irate when he wakes up. He knows what you did."

"Vampire?" the man asked nervously.

"Thousand year old vampire." I confirmed. "Your employer didn't tell you who you were attacking?"

He shook his head and I looked back to the television. I didn't offer him anything to eat or drink. Usually my manners were impeccable like that, but I was not inclined to be polite. I was beyond exhausted. I had no idea how I was going to function for the flight home tonight and rooting through this guy's head right now was pretty taxing.

"What's he going to do to me?" the guy asked staring at Eric again.

"Well, Ryan," I said with a sigh and didn't acknowledge when his eyes opened wide in response to the fact that I knew his name when he hadn't told it to me. "I really can't say for sure, but I can guarantee it's going to be pretty terrifying for you."

"I've never met a vampire before."

"Oh I can promise you, you won't enjoy meeting this one." I said brightly as Eric began to stir.

He still had his eyes closed as he ran his hands over my thigh. Being in the presence of a vampire when they woke was dangerous. They could attack you and kill you before they come to their senses enough to stop. Eric was too old for that. He had a lot of restraint. At least in that department. But as his fingers found the waistband of my pants, I realized he had other plans.

"Baby, we have a guest." I said, grabbing his hand. Vampires were very sexual creatures and didn't give a damn who saw them engage in any elicit act. I, however, was a lady.

Eric looked over his shoulder with a growl. "This is the scum from this morning?"

"His name is Ryan."

"I don't give a fuck what his name is." He took his time rising up off the couch. I was sure he wanted to give Ryan plenty of time to take in the sheer size of the vampire he'd pissed off.

"Who sent you?" Eric asked.

"Fuck you."

"Why would I want _you _when I have a Goddess such as my wife?" Eric replied with a grand gesture to where I was yawning on the couch and pulling the blanket over me.

Eric looked back over at me and put his hands on his hips. "Why are you so tired?"

"I stayed awake with this guy."

"You haven't _slept_?" He was angry.

"Uh-uh." I yawned again.

"Because of _this_ guy?" Eric pointed to our guest then turned to him with another menacing growl. I'm pretty sure the guy lost control of his bodily fluids then.

Eric pulled a chair in front of Ryan, turned it around and straddled it.

"Speak."

"No."

"You prefer torture?" He sounded interested in the possibility. I'm sure he was. I really wasn't sure when the last time was that Eric actually got to play with his prey first.

"No, but you're going to drain me anyway, so the least I can do is not give you the fucking satisfaction." Ryan shot back.

"Do you consider yourself tough? I have the epitome of American pie – don't you dare look at my wife!" He was so fierce when he said it, I probably would have been scared too. "I will not sully myself by taking in a drop of your scummy blood. But you are right in that I'm going to kill you."

"I'll take my secrets to the grave."

"Sookie?"

"His name is Ryan Olson. He's 27 years old. He lives in Baton Rouge. He dropped out of Louisiana Tech when he got his girlfriend pregnant, but she split. He lied to me before when he told me he'd never met a vampire. The guy that hired him was a vampire in New Orleans, but he doesn't know his name. He was paid $20,000 to kidnap me. Our friend here is addicted to V, so he was pretty happy to take the job on."

Eric looked back at Ryan, who was absolutely dumbfounded. "What's the matter, Ryan?" Eric asked innocently. "Did your employer not tell you you were kidnapping a telepath? They didn't warn you that she would know you were coming? Or that you were supposed to snatch the wife of the most powerful vampire sheriff in Louisiana? You really should have been paid more money. I would have offered you at least $50,000 for such a suicide mission."

"Fuck." Ryan hissed under his breath.

"Oh, that about covers it, yes." Eric replied. "You know, when my wife and I first met, she agreed to read the minds of humans for me so I could find out who was lying to me. It worked out well. Since I was enchanted with her the moment I met her, I found myself agreeing to something very out of character for me. I promised her if she did what I asked and retrieved the information I needed, I would to turn the erring humans and any conspirators of theirs over to the authorities. I was not permitted to torture or kill them. In return, she would help me whenever I asked. Agreeing to this shocked quite a few of my colleagues. I really should have realized then that I was a goner, but I held out. Why am I telling you this? I don't really know. I guess it's to let you know that when the erring human has been stupid enough to attack my wife, I find that original agreement null and void. Normally, I would take the time to torture you first, but as I have a plane to catch…"

Eric stood up, took a step forward, placed one hand on either side of Ryan's head and snapped his neck so fast, he probably never even registered what was happening. I was too tired to be shocked or care about our original agreement. I was still naïve and unschooled in the way of the supernatural world then. That wasn't the case now.

"And now what are you going to do with _that _body?" I asked. I was getting the beginnings of a headache now, my lack of sleep taking its toll.

"I will call Quinn and make them deal with it." Eric said shortly returning to my side. "Lover, you look just this side of conscious. There's not enough time before the flight for you to sleep. You can sleep on the plane."

"All right." I yawned, pressing my fingertips to my temples and closing my eyes. He kissed my forehead.

"_Why_ did you not sleep?"

"With that guy here?" I asked as if the reason should have been obvious. "What if he got loose? You were sleeping; we were defenseless." He worked his fingers in to my hair and massaged my scalp a bit and then stroked my temples. It felt almost blissful with this budding headache and I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Come." He whispered picking me up from the couch. "Let's get ready to go."

**~Eric~**

"And you're sure the scum was hired by Victor?" Pam asked as we sat at the bar in Fangtasia. The bar was closed now. Sookie was asleep on the couch in my office. She had slept the whole flight back to Louisiana. When she woke up to deboard, her head still hurt and she went right into the office, turned off the lights and fell back asleep. It was a testament to how tired she was because the music and noise from the bar could be heard clearly in the office. I was tempted to close the place down when we walked in so she could have peace, but she seemed beyond the point of it affecting her sleep.

"He was hired by a vampire in New Orleans, so yes, I think it was one of Victor's people." I nodded, taking a sip of my True Blood.

"And Felipe wants you to take out Victor."

"Yes." 

"Eric, what makes you think it's not a trap so Felipe could get you to New Orleans and Victor can kill you?"

"Nothing." I shrugged.

"Oh, so long as we're not trusting Felipe now…"

"Not remotely." I replied. "He did medical testing on my wife. Of course I do not trust him. However, I don't believe he's behind this."

"Hello?" asked a feminine voice I did not recognized. I looked away from Pam and saw an attractive brunette hovering in the doorway. She was dressed in a dark business suit that fit her very well.

"Oh yes, Marcy. Please come in." Pam said popping off her barstool.

"And who is this, Pam?" I asked curiously.

"Marcy is my pick for your dayperson replacement." Pam gushed. Of course she was. Marcy was gorgeous and wearing an expensive suit. I had dragged my feet replacing Bobby. He was an asshole, but very efficient.

"Pam has explained to you what is needed?"

"Yes, Mr. Northman." She smiled only as much as professionalism allowed. I wondered how long it would be before Pam fucked her…if she hadn't already.

"Please sit down." I waved my hand to the table nearest us and took the chair across from her after she sat. "All human employees are subject to the final approval of my wife." I announced.

"What!" shrieked Pam. "Since when?"

"Since this morning." I said sternly.

Pam understood immediately, but the look on her face told me that new rule was the first to go once the danger from Victor was past.

"I will consent to that, Eric, but I am not relinquishing control of your wardrobe. I won't have you looking like something…off the rack." Pam said with mild disgust.

"I'm sure Sookie will be just fine with that." I rolled my eyes as the object of my affection chose that moment to storm into the bar.

Pam arched an eyebrow at Sookie's obvious disgruntlement as she rooted around behind the bar for something. "Something amiss, my lover?" I asked. She marched out from behind the bar and as she approached me, I saw the tears in her eyes.

"She is leaking again." Pam sighed. Then she looked at Marcy. "Sookie leaks upon occasion." Marcy was smart enough not to comment.

"What's wrong? Are you still unwell? I'll take you home as soon as I am finished here."

Sookie thrust as small white bottle at my chest. "I can't get the _fucking_ child proof cap off. Please open that."

I looked at the bottle in my hand. It read, 'Excedrin' and it was supposed to be some sort of human pain relief medicine, particularly for headaches. Opening a jar for his wife, another normal husband function. But when the first twist of the cap didn't work, I immediately felt my wife's distress.

"I -" Marcy began with her hand out, but before she could finish her thought, I smacked my hand down onto the table and crushed the bottle. The little pills spread across the table and Sookie snatched some up and swallowed them with water. "I was going to say that I would show you how to remove a child proof top, but I suppose that was efficient as well."

"If you work for us, you will find that Eric does not waste time where Sookie is concerned." Pam said dryly and unimpressed with my lack of patience. I didn't care. _She_ was not currently feeling her bonded spouse's pain right now. "Sookie, this Marcy. She is the most qualified candidate to replace Bobby. What do you think?"

Sookie took one look at Marcy and then glared at me. What did I do? I'm just sitting here. "Eric, do you always have to hire women that want to fuck you?" Marcy's eyes widened and she blushed an attractive shade of red.

I arched an eyebrow at my wife. "No, my darling, sometimes I hire men that want to fuck me." I smirked in return, but quickly lost my grin when the tears escaped down her cheek.

"I can't read her right now, Eric, I just can't."

"It's all right, my lover." I said quickly taking her hands, squeezing them and then let them go again. "We'll bring her back when you are feeling better." Sookie nodded and then left the room again.

"Well, she is….out of sorts." Pam said, watching the door Sookie disappeared through.

I looked at Marcy. "My wife is usually a very perky, pleasant person, Marcy. You would enjoy working with her. However, she has gotten precious little sleep and she has what you humans call a 'headache.'"

"She has a thousand year old vampire blood in her, Eric." Pam tossed back. "She shouldn't have so much as a hangnail."

I glanced sharply at my child. That was an excellent point.

"That's all right." Marcy smiled. "It happens to all of us."

"No, not to Sookie." Pam insisted. "It is very unusual."

"You will meet Sookie again when she is feeling better." I said standing up. "In the meantime, I trust Pam's judgment. However, you still need to get past Sookie and I will warn you now, she is telepathic. So if you are hiding something, you'll want to disclose it to Pam now. I killed a human this morning because of what Sookie read in his mind. You are warned."

To Marcy's credit, she didn't look too phased by that statement, so that was encouraging. I left Pam to her new little potential playmate and left the bar to tend to my ailing wife, though what exactly I was supposed to do was anybody's guess.


	13. Chapter 13

13.

**A/N: Remember, I have no beta for this story. Any mistakes I catch after I post, I fix in my main document. The story will be posted on my website that I share with two other authors when it's finished. So if you ever want to read it with less mistakes, it will be at .com. If I ever establish a True Blood/SVM site I will put it there, but in the meantime, it will be on the Twilight one.**

**~Eric~**

I knew before I entered the office that Sookie was sleeping again. The pain I had been feeling from her had suddenly decreased. It was still there, but she wasn't consciously recognizing it now. I could only hope that whatever was in those little pills she took would help. Her pain was not something I dealt well with; not just because of my emotional attachment to her, but also because it takes so much to actually hurt me. Deciphering my real physical pain from her vicarious pain was not very easy in the beginning. When the fairies had her, I thought I was going to go mad with the agony and despair she felt. On top of the brutal pain she was feeling, was the desperation to be saved, the terror of what was happening and finally her acceptance of her pending death.

I had screamed so loud and cried so hard at that moment that Pam could not get through to me when I was finally freed. I was so overwhelmed by the grief that I couldn't control anything I felt. Pam had finally grabbed my face with her hands and yelled, "Eric! You are _sending _this to her and she needs your strength now. Do not mourn her before she is gone! Do not let her think you have given up on her!" I was so grateful to Pam I bought her a car.

When Sookie and I were first bonded, I was startled at the sudden intensity and swell in the strength of what I'd felt from her. She'd had my blood twice before and so I could feel her emotions, but until we were fully bonded, I couldn't feel her pain. Everything I had come to know, to trust, about she and I was amplified. I didn't know what it all truly meant, what could be done with it – I'd never seen it in action before – so in that early time, I just constantly made her happy. The happier I made her, the easier she could adjust to it all without being so God damned pissed off at me about it.

When we first met, I couldn't explain the gravitational pull I'd felt for her. All I could reason out was that she and I were destined for something greater. In the beginning, I thought it was just that I was likely going to kill her. Then, as my obsession grew, I thought it meant that I was going to turn her. But after we were bonded, I knew it was because she was my Dog Star.

Sirius, the Dog Star, is the brightest star in the night sky. After extensive research and observation, astronomers have discovered that Sirius is actually _two _stars that constantly orbit each other. Can you imagine that? How beautiful that must be? Two stars, out there on their own, constantly orbiting each other. It is not just one that stays still while the other orbits around like the Earth does the sun. They orbit _each other_. As if that didn't make it special enough, it can also, under the right conditions, be viewed in the daylight.

The Ancient Greeks believed that the appearance of the Dog Star would cause their crops to wilt; it would mean a hot, dry summer. They also believed that it caused men to weaken and women to become aroused. I think in our case, I was the one that did both.

That is why I cannot exist without her. When she dies, I will have to. Who will I orbit? When stars lose their orbit, they burn up. And so that will be me. I will leave this world in a luminous, spectacular blaze of glory. It sounds a hell of a lot more impressive than, "Yes, there's Eric. He used to be in love, but now he's just floating around aimlessly out in the cosmos."

My thought process here has digressed.

When I entered the darkened office, I moved to Sookie's side with the silence and stealth that makes my kind so deadly. I smelled Amelia in the room, but did not turn to acknowledge her. I just studied my beloved's face, slightly pinched in discomfort. Pam's words were echoing through my head. "It is very unusual." Had I ever known Sookie to be sick? When the maenad attacked her and she was poisoned was the only time I could think of. And that was completely disgusting. I certainly knew of all the times she'd been injured, but as long as I have known her, she'd never been sick.

"She'll be out a good eight hours. I gave her a sleeping pill." Amelia said from her spot in the chair behind my desk.

"You _drugged_ her?" I hissed.

"It's going to get worse before it gets better, Eric. There's magic here."

The bottom fell out of me then.

I rose from my spot, walked to the desk, laid my palms flat and leaned across it, staring Amelia down. I didn't need light to see her, but she did. So she opened up her hand and lit up one of her little fireballs. Not only did it help her see me in my menacing stance, but it was also a warning to me that she'd light my shit up if I shot the messenger.

"There's a curse." She continued. It was a dramatic announcement with the fireball dancing in mid-air, but I wasn't paying any attention to Amelia's accompanying theatrics. Only her words.

"What do you know about it?"

"Only that its here." She said. "I can't recognize the spell. It's very complex. But it's not good and it certainly hasn't run its course. Who did you encounter in Vegas?"

"No witches."

"You must have, Eric. Think."

"I am! The only one who would have come close would be Dr. Ludwig."

"Take me through what she did." Amelia ordered. Amelia always got points in my book for bravery, even if she was foolish to test my patience right now. I ran through Dr. Ludwig's exam detail by detail. "There were no injections?"

"No, but she did draw quite a bit of blood."

"If her blood were being hexed, I think you would be more affected by it."

"I _am_ being affected by it. She's in pain; I can feel it."

"No, I think it would be more than the vicarious feelings." Amelia said, more to herself than me.

"Do _not_ dismiss the power of the blood bond." I said evenly.

"Oh, believe me, I don't." She said standing up. She walked out from behind the desk, still with her friendly little fireball blazing and stood in the middle of the room. "It feels specific to Sookie. Any residual effects on you are merely a bonus. I assume the witch behind it wants to fuck with her gift. Sookie told me before the pain was accompanied by voices. Very angry voices."

"She didn't tell me that. Who's voices?"

"I don't know." Amelia shrugged. "The witch must have kept their distance. Are you sure you would have been able to identify a magical person?"

"After a thousand years, my supernatural radar is pretty good." I sneered. But no, I wasn't at all sure. There was a lot going on and I, quite frankly, was not looking for a witch. The visit to Felipe's was a lot to absorb. Running away with Sookie was looking better and better, but I certainly wasn't going to do it while there was a hex on her.

When I was cursed by Hallow, I told Sookie I would give everything up to stay with her. When I regained my memory of those days, I was shocked and appalled that I had made a promise that was so unlike me. But with Sookie, I have finally allowed myself to strip away the hard layers, "the vampire shit," to the basic parts of my soul that she fell in love with. And in so doing, what I have learned is that I most certainly _can_ give up everything to take her away and ensure her safety.

Though I certainly don't need to get a job.

And I haven't gotten rid of the vampire shit. I have just reconciled that part of myself with the part that she has awakened in me. I am constantly walking a tight rope between the two halves of the whole, ready to fall either way as circumstances warrant. It is unsafe to show weakness to the outside world, yet Sookie does not deserve to live in a world of brutality either.

Sookie whimpered in her sleep and I moved back to her side. I kissed her forehead and stroked her hair, quelling the rage bubbling inside me. It will do her no good to feel my anger on top of her pain. I needed to remain calm. She did not need a fitful sleep on top of everything else she was enduring.

"Dawn's coming, Eric." Amelia said gently. "Take her home. I'll do research and make inquiries to see what I can learn about the curse. I'll leave you with more sleeping pills. If the pain is too much for her when she wakes up, you can sedate her again."

"She can't stay in a perpetual state of unconsciousness!" I hissed. "If she's conscious, she can defend herself."

"But at the moment, when she's conscious, she's in pain, Eric. Do you want _that_?" Amelia countered.

I ran a hand down my face feeling frustrated and helpless. No, of course I didn't want that. I wanted my peppy wife back. I wanted the girl who pasted a maniacal smile on her face when she got nervous. I wanted the woman who could get swept away in a frenzy of feeling when we made love, the part fairy who could bring me to my knees with a saucy smile. I wanted my Sookie.

"No. I want it over. Pam!" I called out as loudly as I dared, so as not to disturb my wife. Pam appeared instantaneously in the doorway. "Take Sookie back home and stay with her during the day. Amelia, you're with me."

"Where are you going?" Pam asked.

"We're going to see Victor."

Amelia closed her hand around the flame and plunged the room into darkness.


	14. Chapter 14

14.

**~Eric~**

"Hold on a second, Eric; just back the fucking truck up for a minute." Pam insisted, flicking the switch for the neon True Blood sign in the office so Amelia had the benefit of sight while we argued.

"Pam -" I began.

"Eric, you're being guided by your emotions. Just stop and think for just a minute!" She stood in the doorway. I was going to have to go through her. Shouldn't be too hard; I would just order her out of the way as her maker.

"She's cursed, Pam! She's fucking cursed!" I yelled and gestured violently to where Sookie was still sleeping on the couch. She stirred a bit but didn't waken. That was some strong pill Amelia gave her.

"I understand that." Pam said calmly, sounding like she was trying to reason with a child holding a can of red paint over a white carpet. "You have spent centuries teaching me that vampires must be dominant over their emotions. Since we met Sookie, you have let your emotions dominate _you_ when it comes to her. You. Cannot. Storm. Victor's. Castle. Without. A. Plan."

Fuck. I hated it when Pam was right. It made me fucking crazy.

"She can't go on like this." I whispered looking from Sookie up to Pam. I could feel the trails of blood running down my face. That's when Amelia quite cowardly excused herself.

"Oh, we'll kill Victor, Master, make no mistake about that." Pam assured me quietly. "I just need you to calm down and formulate one of your brilliant plans. Let Amelia do her thing. Give us 24 hours to come up with something."

"She's in pain, Pam. She's in pain, and she's confused, and she's scared and Victor Madden is going to pay for every second of it."

"She needs you to keep your head. When you got cursed, she kept her head." Pam countered. That was harsh.

"What if she doesn't have 24 hours, Pam? What then? What if she's dead in 24 hours? Or what if in 24 hours she _doesn't remember anything_?"

"Eric," Pam said after a pause. "Do not tell me that if she were dying, you would not bring her over."

"I promised her I wouldn't."

"And does either one of you really believe that?"

"She does. She trusts me not to turn her. That's why we're in this fucking mess! If the solution were that simple, I'd have done it already."

"She may not want it right now, but she will. Eric, look at me. I told you in the beginning not to form an attachment to her. How many times have you warned me again and again? 'They're fun to fuck and feed off of, but don't let them in.' And what happened? We _both_ let her in. She's my _friend_, Eric, and I haven't had a friend since you turned me. We won't fail her; not if we do it right."

"You also told me she was more trouble than she was worth."

"I haven't decided whether or not I was right about that yet."

I smirked a bit. Pam has always been able to calm me down just by being her hard ass self. While Sookie has been a calming presence, Pam's 'I don't have time for your bullshit' attitude will cut through glass.

"Go find me a blanket so she won't freeze on the flight home."

"Why don't you just _drive _her?" Pam sighed.

"No one will get us in the air."

Pam turned on her heel and as she left the office, tossed over her shoulder, "A fucking redneck is going to pick your dumb ass off one of these nights."

Sookie opened her eyes a bit as I pulled her up into a sitting position and threaded her arms into her coat sleeves. "Eric?" she murmured.

"Yes, lover?"

"They're very mean." She whispered with a tear running down her cheek. I wiped it away with my thumb.

"Who's mean, my sweet?"

"The voices. They're saying awful things." She dropped her head to my shoulder.

I tensed and forced myself to stay calm. I wanted to scream and break things. Someone was torturing her.

"What are they saying?" I asked as gently as I could, rubbing her back and trying to be as soothing as possible. The second, the very second we got home and she was in bed, I was going to break something big. Or kill something.

"They're saying I'm crazy. Am I crazy, Eric?"

"No, Sookie, you're perfect."

"This curse is going to kill me, Eric. I know it." I wasn't about to let that happen.

"You don't know anything, you silly woman." I said as good-naturedly as I could. Pam reentered then with the blanket and tucked it around Sookie's shoulders. "Pam, you and Amelia follow us home in your car."

I walked out the back door and jumped into the waning evening. Usually I was exhilarated by flying, especially with Sookie. The look on her face the first time we flew at night as she discovered the pure freedom of it burned into my mind and I recalled the memory every time I took flight. She was terrified at first, which was a little insulting. I don't usually take passengers, but it wasn't as if I was going to drop her. And in the near impossible event I _did_ drop her, I'd catch her long before she actually hit the ground.

When we danced together in Rhodes, she looked so beautiful and I was so overpowered by the new bond that I wanted to give her something, anything, something the tiger couldn't. It was nothing really, just a little levitation. But the wattage from her smile could have lit up a city block and her laughter rang out like a bell. She was laughing and smiling _at me_. Just me. It was the first completely perfect moment we had. Well, that I could remember anyway. She left to regroup and I was glad because she wasn't the only one who needed to absorb exactly what was happening.

Flying with her was a lot more fun when she was awake for it. I touched down so softly she wouldn't have felt it if she were awake and was laying her in bed in moments. What did I do now? Dawn was coming quickly now, so I wasn't going to be of any use to her much longer. My original instinct to go to New Orleans still seemed like the best plan. It was my gut feeling and my gut is very rarely wrong.

A plan? My plan was to find the witch who did this and bring the fury of the Gods' thunder down on her. (I was positive it was a woman. This had 'female' written all over it.)

I was sitting on the bed, leaning up against the headboard with Sookie splayed across me when Pam came in. She wouldn't admit it, but I know she was checking on Sookie's condition before she went to rest for the day.

"Tell Amelia we leave at dusk." I said simply. "You are with Sookie. Do not leave her side. That is an order both as your sheriff and your maker."

"And what exactly am I to do when she wakes up? Do you honestly think I can keep her from going to New Orleans?"

"Surely you can take one girl from Bon Temps." I grinned.

"When have you seen _anyone _'take' her?" She shot back.

"Well, Sookie would tell you to be autoschedisiastical." I smirked.

"You don't even know what that means." She hissed at me.

"Sure I do. But you should probably go look it up so _you_ have a game plan."

Pam rolled her eyes and stormed away. The truth was I trusted Pam implicitly. She showed remarkable leadership during the witch war. The battle plan was hers. It was a messy fight, but that couldn't be avoided. She thought like me, which was creepy at times, but more importantly, she had my back. And now she had Sookie's back. And there was nobody you wanted for an enemy less than Pam.

Well, that is except for me.

**~Sookie~**

"_There's the Stackhouse girl, so pretty, but soft in the head."_

"_Crazy Sookie…I heard she hears _voices_ in her head." _

"_It's not as if he actually _loves_ her. He's only with her because he_ has_ to be because of the blood bond. He should just kill her and free himself."_

"_Honey, there's something _wrong_ with Sookie…she answers questions I don't say out loud."_

"_You just know poor Jason Stackhouse, bless his cute heart, is going to be stuck taking care of his crazy little sister his whole life. He should just put her in one of those big institutions they talk about on t.v."_

"_She's crazy, but she's hot. I'd give her a pity fuck. But what if she, like, starts screaming half-way through and not in a good way?"_

"_You have fairy blood. That explains a lot."_

"_I heard that vampire Bill dumped her right on her crazy ass. She really should have known better."_

And so it was. Every nasty thought I've ever heard – and some I didn't recall ever hearing, but might have been created by my overtaxed brain – have been bouncing off the inside of my skull accompanied by a dull throb. The sleeping pill Amelia gave me only succeeded in making me too drugged to wake up from the nightmares. Nothing happy has come through my head since Las Vegas. Why was this happening? _How_ was it happening?

I could feel my spirit getting beaten down further and further. I wanted to escape, but I knew something was wrong and somehow, I knew Eric would find the solution. Even if he didn't really love me and only felt obligated because of the bond, I knew he'd find a way to stop this.

My thoughts were getting jumbled. Something about that last bit didn't seem right.

"Thank God you're finally awake." Pam said rushing into the bedroom. I sat up and pressed a hand to my forehead. Pam was moving at vampire speed and so I was really only seeing flashes of her about the room. Right? My eyes weren't playing tricks on me too, were they? "How's the head?"

I curled my fingers into my hair and squeezed my eyes shut. "I wish they'd all shut the fuck up!"

"Look at me, Sookie." Pam commanded and I did. I didn't have a choice, that tone of voice didn't leave any room for defiance. And holy shit did Pam look pissed. "Someone is fucking with _my_ favorite telepath and I'll meet the true death before I fucking let them get away with it. You got me?" I nodded. "Say yes."

"Yes." I squeaked.

"Good. Now get up and get dressed. We've got work to do."

"Where's Eric?" There was a whine to my voice and I didn't really care if I sounded like a desperate pathetic human.

"Well, here's the thing about that." Pam said tossing clothes onto the bed for me. "Eric, in his infinite wisdom who hasn't bothered to share shit with me, has gone to New Orleans to see Victor."

I could feel the blood drain down to my toes. "What? Without me?"

"And without me." She growled. "I'm to stay with you. And I assume you'll be going after him, which of course means I'll need to go with you to uphold my orders. So blah, blah, blah we had our back and forth, I've made some calls. We'll have guests soon."

"Guests?" I asked as I slowly and painfully began to change and pretended not to notice Pam eyeing every inch of my skin. Even in a crisis she could take time to be obnoxious.

"Alcide and some of his pack will join us."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"It's best not to involve too many vampires and Weres are always spoiling for a fight. Oh and your friend Sam is coming too, so you just get that out of your system now."

"Sam!" I squeaked and then clutched my head at the loud noise. "No, Pam! He can't get involved in this."

"Yes, blah, blah, blah. He is. Get used to it. He can assume any shape, which will be convenient if we need him to turn into some big pterodactyl to fly your ass out of there."

"I'm not leaving there without Eric, so you should get used to _that._" I insisted. "So that means Bill's not coming?"

"No, Bill…had something he had to do."

"What the hell does that mean? Did you even call him? Because he'd be here, Pam, if you did."

"I _did_ call him and he said he had something he had to do." Pam hissed. "And good-fucking luck to him because when Eric hears that, he's going to be looking for a new Area to be living in, the coward."

That didn't sound like Bill. Bill loved me. Bill fought the fairies and got silver poisoning for me. He would not desert me in my hour of need. Then again, when we were together, it seemed like he usually _wasn't_ there when I needed him. Didn't matter. I refused to feel this betrayal by him anymore. If he wasn't coming, we'd deal with it.

"_She ordered me to return to my human home, to put myself in your way, to seduce you if I had to …"_

This was getting old fast. I did my best to block the voices like I normally did when I didn't want anybody in my head uninvited. But since they weren't real thoughts…or they were once…at least I thought they were…anyway my normal techniques weren't working.

"Listen we're going to get through this just fine without Mr. Compton's help." Pam said. "So pop more of those pills and carb up, my favorite breather. We're going on a road trip."


	15. Chapter 15

15.

**~Eric~**

"Listen," I said to Amelia as we crossed into the New Orleans city limits. "I need you to take out the witch. Victor's going to learn pretty fast that I'm here and I'm going to end up in chains."

"You understand my fee is going up by the minute, right?" She huffed next to me, but I could tell she was also unexpectedly excited about a good fight against one of her own. "Why are we doing this now if it's going to end badly for you?"

"It's not going to end _badly_ for me, but it is going to be rough going." I retorted. Shit. Did no one have any confidence in me right now? Between Pam and now Amelia I wasn't feeling bathed in reverence for my obvious skills. It's not like I'm new at this stuff. And I did have time to work things out in my head on the way there. Now that I had a little physical distance from Sookie, it was a bit easier to think. The blood bond can be very overwhelming in heightened emotional circumstances, such as your beloved getting cursed and tortured through said curse. "There's no way that Sookie is staying in Shreveport. She's going to come and she _has _to because she's what Victor wants and until he's got his eyes right on his prize, he's not going to slip up."

"What if he chains you and then stakes you?"

"That would be unfortunate."

"You think!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. Women tend to have that reaction to me. "Listen, buddy, you're not the only one going in there. If you end up staked I'm fucked."

"We have to release the spell before Sookie gets here. That is our purpose right now." I stressed emphatically. "I will do what I can for as long as I can, but I want you to know what to expect."

"If he chains you, is he going to torture you?"

"It's what I would do."

"And yet you're offering yourself up on a silver platter – ha ha."

"Yes."

"What if the curse isn't lifted when the witch is killed?"

"It'll be easier for you to remove if the spell caster is dead, correct?"

"Mostly. I could still run into some snags that I might need help with. I'd have to call in my mentor or someone else from my coven."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, my money's on you."

"You know, all I was supposed to do was charm a cloak."

"Did that work?"

"Actually I think it did."

"Did you bring it?"

"Yes."

"Good, then we'll do this at dawn. We've just upped our chances. You remember I also spoke to you about fire." I countered. "Remember that. And use it liberally on any vampire in there you feel is a threat to you."

"I kind of like the idea of running around lighting people up. It's not something a person typically gets to do in every day life."

"You're an interesting woman, Amelia." I grinned.

"Me? You're the one offering yourself up to be tortured. You could be going in there with backup." I refrained from pointing out that she was equally likely to be caught and tortured. Why bring her down when I needed her on her game?

"At the moment, you're the back up. I'm a thousand-plus year old Viking, Amelia, how many battles do you think I've been in?"

"A few."

"Yes. And in my considerable experience, I have learned that when you just run in and storm a heavily fortified stronghold, you get slaughtered. Victor is expecting us."

When I looked at her again, she was smiling at me. It was making me uneasy. I almost squirmed. "Why are you looking at me like that?" I demanded.

She shook her head and said, "I just never would have pegged you for having this kind of capacity to love. You're a notorious brutal badass and here we are doing something extremely stupid to protect the woman you love."

"When I see her, I get a shiver down my spine. That hasn't happened to me since I was human and I honestly can't remember if it happened then."

Now she was grinning even bigger, if that were possible. "You can really be quite the romantic, can't you?"

"Don't make me kill you when I'm just beginning to tolerate you, witch. If you're looking for a heart-to-heart right now, you'll be disappointed. I don't have a heart."

"You've got something in there."

"Shut up." I growled, not that it did any good. Amelia seemed quite satisfied with herself.

She directed me to her building. As soon as we stepped out of the car, I scanned the area for anyone that might be waiting for us. I tend to know pretty quickly when an unannounced vampire enters my area, or an unannounced supernatural creature, like Quinn, so I wouldn't expect any less from Victor. We seemed to be in the clear, but it didn't stop Amelia from adding several wards to the building anyway when we walked in, of course she forgot to invite me in so I had to stand out there in the open for a few moments longer than I would have liked.

Her apartment was small, but stylish sort of like Amelia herself. Instead of turning on lights, she lit one of her little fireballs. I think at this point, she was just doing it for my entertainment and I did get oddly giddy when I saw them.

"That's just so sweet," she gushed unexpectedly. "She sends a shiver down your spine."

"And you are becoming the pain in my neck. Get past it, please."

She did some feminine girl squeak and shrugged her shoulder. "I don't have any True Blood for you."

"It's fine."

"I'm not willing to donate either."

"I don't need it." I assured her. "I need very little to actually sustain myself now, unlike the younger ones."

"Does Sookie let you do that?" She asked suddenly.

"_Let_ me do _what_?"

"Feed off of other humans." She sat down on the couch while I continued to wander the room, taking in my surroundings. I paused to look at a picture of her and Sookie. It looked like it was taken on Sookie's front porch. "I imagine if it were some sort of emergency and she wasn't there, she would allow it, but isn't that, like, a thing, some kind of rule of etiquette for your kind?"

"Honestly, it's not something I've discussed with her. Other humans aren't really that appealing for me now. Vampires with one exclusive human mate will typically only feed off their companion. That wasn't the case for me before Sookie became mine. I fed off a variety of humans. If I fed off of someone else, Sookie would probably kick my ass. She tends to be very territorial."

"Yeah, no shit." Amelia snorted then lost her smile.

"What's wrong?"

"Eric, how do you know you're going to be any good at all in the palace during the day? The worst scenario is the cloak doesn't work and you're out in the daytime, what then?"

"I won't burn in the building."

"But what are you going to be able to do?"

"Very little."

"That's confidence inspiring."

"But on the other hand, all the vampires there will be sleeping. Human and Were guards will not be too taxing for me. The cloak will work though."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because it was the only thing you had to do."

"_Was_ being the operative word there, big guy."

"I tend to raise the bar on my employees."

"I'm not one of your employees."

"Am I not paying you to perform a service?"

"It's temporary," she shot back. I chuckled at how sure she was of her answer. That's what Sookie said, too.

"Once word gets out that I, myself, infiltrated Victor's stronghold _during the daytime_ I assure you, this arrangement will cease to be temporary. You need to brighten your vision, witch. You and I are about to become business partners."

"If we live through this."

"We'll live through this."

"_How_ do you constantly have this kind of confidence? You don't find it exhausting? I mean, do you _always_ get your way?"

"No, not always." I replied, thinking of the recent medical testing done on my wife and how powerless I really was in that situation. "But Victor has it coming, and he's got it coming from _me_."

She glared at me for a long moment. "Just so you know, if I die, I will find you and haunt the ever loving shit out of you."

I laughed. She really was spunky. She reminded me of Sookie like that. That was a very Sookie thing to say. "Get some sleep, witch. You'll need your strength."

"You'll be all right?" She looked around skeptically. It seemed to be a toss up on whether or not she was truly worried about my welfare or afraid to leave a vampire alone in her house. "Do you want to know how to work the tv?"

"I think I can figure it out. Go to bed on your own before I glamour you and make you."

That worked. She popped right up off the couch and disappeared into what I assumed was the bedroom. I needed to check in with Sookie and Amelia was being entirely too chatty.

I sat down on the couch, closed my eyes and opened myself up to the bond. Sookie was awake now, of course, I felt that earlier. She was annoyed. I assumed that was because I left without her. I looked forward to having to pay for that later. I loved when she got worked up like that, full of fire and brimstone – or piss and vinegar, as Pam liked to call it. She had such a little temper on her. And she _was_ territorial. She was constantly underestimated by her adversaries, which was usually to their peril. I remembered how sweet I thought she was when we first met and how quickly she smacked that observation down. She was not at all what she appeared and yet, sometimes, exactly that. Sometimes she was very much the naïve, genteel Southern woman with impeccable manners and a big heart, raised to believe that neighbors helped neighbors, kin was kin and God had a bigger plan for all of us.

I could see things much more clearly now that I had distance between us and I wasn't being sucked into the vortex of what was happening with her, but I did not like that her protection was in someone else's hands, even if they were Pam's capable ones. I should be her last line of defense, but she could not go into Victor's in the state she was in – _we_ couldn't go in there in the state we were in. The closer we were to each other, the more affected I was. He'd chew her up and spit her out.

I was convinced that Victor would make a mistake once he had Sookie in his grasp. Blood lust made people, even vampires, sloppy. Ideally, I'd like to take Victor out in his sleep, but I didn't know if I would get that far so I had to at least get the witch. Plus, admittedly, I was looking forward to the fight. There was too much warrior in me to kill a man that couldn't see his death coming. If I was in chains, Sookie couldn't have this shit going on in her head when she needed to concentrate, especially since I was pretty much guaranteed to be screaming at her telepathically myself.

I stayed in what Sookie liked to call "vampire down time" until I felt the first slivers of dawn approach. Amelia emerged from her room with the cloak draped over her arm. "You in there, big guy?"

"Yes." I smiled.

"Ready?"

"You have no idea how much."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I had a little chianti when I wrote this chapter…all right, I had a LOT of chianti when I wrote this chapter! I should also take a second to tell you two things about my writing. The first is, as you've seen, I will put a cliffhanger in wherever I can; the second is, I only write happy endings. You might want to keep that in mind as we get into these next few chapters because I can't vouch for the condition of the characters when they get to the end, but in the end, they'll be happy (or at least alive)! **

16.

**~Eric~**

"Note to you, this thing is hotter than a pile of shit."

"Never having rolled in a pile of shit, I'll take your word for it. You look like a Jedi."

"I'm much tougher than those wimps."

"I'm surprised you knew the reference, vampire."

"When you have eternity to live, witch, you've got some time to see movies."

"How do you feel?"

"Well, I've been feeling a little down lately…"

"ERIC!"

"How do you think I feel? I'm fucking baking in this thing!"

"But are you burning? Or are you just hot? We can deal with Frosty on a sunny day."

"What?"

"Frosty the Snowman."

"What the hell is that?"

"You know Star Wars but not Frosty?"

"What the hell is a snowman?"

"You know snow."

"Yes."

"You can make a man out of it. I've heard anyway. Being from New Orleans, I don't have much experience with snow."

"This conversation is very bizarre."

Amelia parked the car a few blocks away from the palace. It was New Orleans and no one paid any attention to how I was dressed. We moved up the street in the shadows of the buildings. I felt my strength fading. I was going to need to feed a few times today to get through this. My vision was likewise a little blurry.

"So other than being hot, and apparently crabby, tell me what's going on. This is both product research and information I need to know as your partner in crime here." She stated all business.

"It's physically uncomfortable but tolerable." I said, pulling her into an alley next to the building. I pulled the hood down to feel the fresh air. "However, I feel my strength fading, so I'm going to need to feed inside. If that's going to be too shocking for you…well, too bad. It's just going to be the way it is."

"Are you tired?"

"A little."

"I am so fucked."

"Calm down." I said. I pulled a bottle of True Blood out of an inner pocket and downed it as quickly as I could. I felt a little stronger. I only brought a few bottles along with me. The last time I was awake during the day was Rhodes. This was only the second time I've seen the daylight in a thousand years and I suddenly wished Sookie was there to share it. Given how well the cloak was working, I was optimistic I could share other sunrises with her; not many, because this was extremely uncomfortable.

"How are we getting in there?" She demanded looking around the alley for a door. When she looked back at me, I looked up to the roof.

"I think I can still make the jump."

"What jump?" She asked. I pointed my thumb to the sky. When she made the connection, her jaw dropped. "That's – one, two, three – five stories! That's insane! And how the hell am I supposed to get up there?"

"I'll carry you." I said simply, opening up another bottle and downing that one too.

"You're drinking blood like its last call at Mardi Gras and you think I'm going to trust you to fly with me up five stories?" Despite my weakening state, I was insulted. Surely, I could still make a little hop like this.

I put the hood up, which made me feel like a pansy, tossed the empty bottle in the general vicinity of a dumpster, grabbed Amelia and shot up into the sky. Thankfully, I remembered to clamp a hand down over her mouth so she didn't alert every armed human and Were in the building we were zooming by the windows. As soon as we touched down on the roof, I let go of her. She dropped to her knees and took deep breaths. I was pretty proud of myself, but that did take a bit of energy. You could roast something under this hellish contraption.

"Wow…that was…incredible." Women often had _that _response to me too.

"Sookie enjoys it."

"You just fly her around?"

"Not far."

"I want a longer flight!"

"I'm not Continental."

"C'mon. I think after all I've done I deserve something fun!"

"How about a paycheck?"

"How about a quick flight around the city?"

"How about we argue about this another time? I'd like to get out of the sun, if you don't mind."

"How are we going to get in?"

"I was thinking of going through that door." I pointed to a metal door to the right that she obviously had not noticed until now.

"How did you know that was there?"

"This is the Louisiana sovereign's residence. I've been here many times. I know this building like the back of my hand."

"Does it have a dungeon?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to end up there?"

"Probably."

"Have you been in there before?"

"In Sophie Anne's more cranky moments, yes." Would this woman never shut up? Was this a nervous condition of some kind?

We walked to the door and I held up my hand for her to shut up. I didn't hear a heart beat on the other side. I was about to rip the door off the hinge, but she stopped me. She muttered some sort of incantation and the door popped open.

"You'd make a hell of a cat burglar." I said impressed.

"We don't need to be all Rambo'd up the _entire_ time."

"What's Rambo?"

"How can you know Star Wars and not Rambo?" she sighed. I must have committed some sort of movie faux pas. "Are you going to be on point here or what?"

"Yes. And the first being we come across is going to be messy, so be forewarned." I said.

"Uh, will you kill them?" she asked apprehensively, as if there was a hell of lot she'd be able to do to stop me.

"I don't usually if I don't have to. But you should prepare yourself just in case. I'm likely to leave a wide wake of gore today. Any resistance we meet will be quashed quickly and most likely deadly. I am not here to make friends."

We moved quickly through the upper floors. Amelia did a good job of keeping up with me. Now that I was inside, I was feeling stronger. My vision was still a little blurred, but things were much better not being in the direct sun.

My first snack came in the form of a young girl, walking towards us reading a book. She was scantily dressed and I imagine just coming from entertaining an undead lover. I could smell the sex on her from all the way down the hall.

"Eric, no! Not this one! She's just a girl!" Amelia whispered harshly.

"A runaway probably." I murmured. "Unless you're willing to be my donor after all, Amelia, I suggest you shut up."

I stepped away from the wall and right into the girl's path. She was absorbed in her book and didn't see me until she nearly crashed into me.

"Good morning." I said pleasantly. As soon as she made eye contact with me, I had her. This girl had been glamoured before and many times. She was an easy mark. "I've just arrived. As you know, it's past dawn now and I'm about to turn in, but since my journey took me into the daylight hours, I have a need to feed. Do you know where I can find True Blood at this time?"

"Down the hall on the left is a lounge." I knew that. I was going to ask if she'd be a willing donor, but at the last minute, thought of Sookie and decided to play it straight, unless I got in a fight with a Were. Then she'd expect it.

"You never saw us." I said gently and she nodded. "You should really go back to your mother. She's probably worried about you." The girl nodded. I hoped she was Victor's. "Run along." She did. She moved quickly down the hall and disappeared into a room.

"Thank you." Amelia whispered as we moved down to the lounge.

"I didn't do it for you." I said brusquely. The lounge was the same as when Sophie Anne was in residence. I moved swiftly to the mini-fridge and loaded up more bottles in the pockets of the cloak, then just for good measure, put some in the bag Amelia and slung over her shoulders. I didn't give her too many because I didn't want to weigh her down.

"Don't you have a type preference?" Amelia asked as she watched me. Did she literally have to talk about _everything_? Since we started on this trip, I've felt like Interview With a Vampire.

"Yes, it's part-fae; know where I can get one?" I quipped back.

"Is that _really_ your preference?"

"Fae is _every_ vampire's preference."

"You must be very lucky then." She said dryly.

"I didn't know she was fae until she told me." I immediately corrected her misassumption. It annoyed me that people only thought I, or Bill before me, was only attracted to Sookie because of her blood. How could they not see how much more she was? "I am lucky in more ways than I could have possibly fathomed."

"See," she gushed. "There you go with the sweet again."

"Shut up."

We moved back out of the lounge and down the corridor. I took a second before we descended the first flight of stairs to count the heartbeats in the vicinity. I sensed three Weres and two humans. I knew the floor below us held a large library. There was a human in there.

"She's here." Amelia said evenly. "The witch. I feel the magic."

"The library." I nodded. "If it is still the same, there're swords in there. I'll take one of those."

"Eric," Amelia said grabbing my elbow before I stepped forward. "She's much more powerful than me."

I looked down into Amelia's scared and uncertain face. She absolutely could not come apart now. "Listen, witch, I don't have time for a pep talk here. I wouldn't have brought you with me or even asked for your help if I didn't have absolute confidence in your abilities. You're creative. That's all you need. I've known hundreds of witches in my time and if I had my pick of all of them, I'd still pick you. Look how well the cloak's working. Now get your shit together."

She took a deep breath, let it back out and nodded. "Okay." She said on a shuddered breath. "All right." She wasn't near as confident as she attempted to sound. That wasn't reassuring.

We encountered no one as we descended the next flight of stairs. I stood outside the door and peaked in. The witch was sitting in a chair by the fireplace. The swords were on the wall immediately to the left. I entered the room, grabbed a sword off the wall and stood in front of her. I moved so fast, it would appear to her human eyes that I popped out of thin air.

"Wow." Said the blonde witch. She was definitely surprised by my sudden appearance before her.

Amelia came in behind me with a gun. I had absolutely no idea she'd brought one with her, but I really didn't care. She had it trained on the witch.

"Do you know who I am?" I asked calmly.

"Very strong to be up at this hour." She replied.

"I'm Eric Northman." Her eyes widened at my name. "I see you've heard of me."

"I have." She sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. I kept the sword pointed at her. "And how's your lovely wife feeling these days?"

"You have two choices." I informed her as I took a few steps toward her and pointed the sword at her throat. "You can remove the curse willingly, or I will kill you and remove it that way."

"After you tell us how you cursed her in the first place." Amelia blurted.

"If you tell me why he's dressed like a monk."

"That's _my_ doing." Amelia said proudly.

"I underestimated you, Amelia." The witch said. She couldn't hide that she was impressed Amelia was able to get a vampire to move around in the daytime with what appeared to be little effort. However, I could attest that this took a _lot_ of effort.

"Yes, you did, Rhiannon." Amelia said coolly. So they knew each other. I wonder if that was going to be good or bad. Given the fact that Amelia did not lower her weapon, I'm assuming bad. "Have you ever seen her, Eric?" 

"No." I said simply.

"How did you curse Sookie, Rhiannon?" Amelia demanded again.

"Well, you'll be dead soon enough." Rhiannon waved dismissively. "I suppose I could tell you. It was the idiot boy."

"The kid sent to abduct her?" Amelia asked.

"Yes." Rhiannon confirmed. "If he succeeded, that was merely a bonus. He was really sent on a suicide mission."

"So when Eric killed him, the curse was released."

"You're so astute, Amelia! Octavia must be so proud!" Rhiannon shifted in her chair as if she was settling in to tell a story, but it was for show.

I rested the tip of the sword against Rhiannon's cheek and the blood drained from her face. Amelia cocked her pistol. "Release the curse." I ordered again.

Rhiannon murmured an incantation.

Amelia screamed, "No!"

And agony ripped through me.


	17. Chapter 17

17.

**A/N: I need the fanfiction equivalent of the dancing intermission hotdogs… "Let's go out to the lobby…let's go out to the lobby…let's go out to the lob-by and have ourselves a snack!" Just kidding. I'm not that mean. Although, you're not going to like me at the end of this one either I bet…**

**~Sookie~**

"This is ridiculous." I said as I paced Amelia's living room. Alcide, Sam and the three members of Alcide's pack he brought with him watched me as I moved back and forth. "We should go. Pam can follow when she wakes up. Eric's weak. He can't withstand this!"

The voices continued rumbling through my mind. The headache ebbed at the base of my skull. I was edgy. Eric's strength was coming in waves. I didn't want to think about how he was regaining it. On the one hand, I had to understand if he was feeding on humans to maintain a certain level of performance; on the other…well, _I_ was supposed to be his only source of nourishment!

"Calm down, chere." Sam said. He stood in my path and rubbed his hands up and down my forearms. I was glad he was here, even if I was terrified for his safety. "He knows what he's doing. Eric's got some experience at this."

"Not at being awake in the daylight he doesn't!" I snapped.

I was livid when we arrived at Amelia's and discovered they'd gone to Victor's during the day. Pam had no way to move around until the sun went down, so we were stuck.

"Personally, Sook, I think you should be far the fuck away from here." Alcide grumbled.

"I can't be. I'm the one Victor wants."

"Which is why you should be in another state right now."

"How long would you have me hide, Alcide? How long would _you_ hide?" I countered.

"Well, she has a point." Alcide shrugged to Sam. I knew I could count on Alcide to come down on my side. Alcide's always been a bit of an enabler for me.

"No. We can't…" Sam began. "We don't know our way around in there. We don't even know how to get in during the day."

"The front door." I said. "People have appointments with the daypeople. People went and waited for hours for an audience with the Queen. I'm sure it's the same for Victor. Besides, when I walk up to the front door and say my name is Sookie Stackhouse, I promise you, my name's on the list. I have some experience with rescuing vampires during the day."

"Pam's the one with the plan. We need her." Sam insisted. But I wasn't listening to him anymore. All I could hear was the voices getting louder. Eric felt… confrontational, angry, determined. What was he doing? Who was he doing it with? Was he feeding off Amelia? What if he got hurt? Would she give him blood?

All at once, I grabbed my head, sank to my knees and let out a blood curdling scream. My head exploded with pain. Sam and Alcide rushed forward and crouched down next me as I wailed and wailed completely debilitated.

I was right. This curse was going to kill me.

But just as quickly as the pain came, it was gone and I was left with silence.

I gasped for breath and clutched Sam's arm as a new pain tore through my body.

"They have him!" I said gulping for air. "They have Eric." And they were torturing him. I knew what he felt when the fairies had me. But the big difference was I wasn't powerless to get to him. "Alcide, you and the pack wait for Pam; Sam, you're with me." I was going for Eric. Pam was going to have to improvise.

**~Eric~**

Things had gone from bad to worse. As soon as I had fallen to my knees with Sookie's pain, Amelia fired the gun and shot Rhiannon. The curse was lifted. I was pretty sure the original curse was gone with the new one, but I didn't have long to assess Sookie's feelings as the Weres were on me and I was chained. But Sookie was getting closer. The bond made me deliriously happy about this, even if my mind wanted her far away from here right now.

Amelia was nowhere to be seen. She vanished and I had no idea whether she was even still in the building or escaped. If she had escaped, I couldn't blame her. She did her job; she took out the witch.

She certainly wasn't chained up with me in the basement. I hated this fucking place; dark, dank, dreary, dramatic. There was a decaying body down here and I was pretty sure it was Barry the Texan Telepath. I had only ever had limited contact with him, but I never forgot a scent; even one buried under the stench of death.

As if the silver chains weren't bad enough, I'd been cut, stabbed, beaten, on top of being completely exhausted. I didn't know what time it was, but I knew it was still daylight and my strength was quickly depleting, especially without any blood recharges, which I certainly wasn't going to get with these assholes.

In my more lucid moments, I focused on their faces. I planned on slaughtering them at my very first opportunity.

I was always intrigued by the ability to be surprised, yet not at all at the same time, but that was me as Sookie came bounding down the stairs with a lion. A lion? Where the hell did she meet these circus animals? And how did she instantly get them to bend to her will? But then again, didn't the whole supernatural world practically fall at her feet? I did. The shifters did, the Weres did. Yeah, we all pretty much did. After the first whiff though, I knew it was Sam.

A lion. That was impressive.

"Eric!" she called as she got to the bottom.

"It's the girl!" One Were yelled, but Sam was on them. Two of them were taken down before they had a chance to change. The remaining Were shifted and took on Sam. I stopped paying attention to that fight as Sookie ran over to me and cupped my face in her hands.

"I have to get you out of here. You're too weak."

"We have to kill Victor." I said harshly.

"Eric, you idiot! You're chained to a wall and as soon as I get these off, I don't even think you're going to be able to stand."

"_You'd be right."_

"Don't do that now." She ordered looking around. I assumed she was looking for a key or something to bust these silver shackles off. "Don't use any more energy than you absolutely have to. We still have to get out of here."

"_Try the Weres' pockets."_

Instead of scolding me for not listening to her, she gave Sam's fight a wide berth and moved around to the two already dead Weres. She scrunched up her face in disgust; she was closer to the body.

"_Don't go any further than you are; there's a body over there."_ I honestly didn't think she'd be able to tell it was Barry, but knowing Sookie, she'd search for a wallet so she could let somebody know he was down here. I would tell her it was him. Later.

She moved from one Were to the other coming up empty handed. She even tried the clothes of the Were that was fighting Sam. He was temporarily distracted by her rooting around in his stuff and Sam pounced on his chance, dispatching of the third Were. Sam didn't shift to human form though when he was done, but stayed in this lion form.

Sookie ran back over to me and her hands moved around my chest and shoulders. Did she think _I_ had a key? "He's pretty hurt, Sam. I don't know how to get him out of these.

"Oh, that won't be necessary, my dear."

Fuck.

Guess it was sundown.

Victor strolled down the stairs. He carried a stake. I should have known he'd do this right in front of her. I was vaguely aware of Pam drawing closer, but doubted she'd get here in time. Sookie's hysteria was growing by the second. She planted herself stubbornly in front of me. It was a loving if not totally futile gesture.

"Well, you two have made quite the mess of my home today." Victor said. "You've been very ill mannered." Victor took the scene from the basement in and looked to Sam. "I suppose the lion is responsible for this." Sam responded with a roar. It reverberated off the walls. I liked the lion.

I felt Sookie's horror then as Victor took out a gun and shot Sam, who instantly transformed back into human form. Sookie screamed and dropped to her knees next to him.

"Oh Sam, no! No, Sam no!"

"Relax, my dear. It's a tranquilizer. I want him alive for questioning later. He'll come around eventually."

"You. Asshole." Sookie seethed.

"_Do not attack him, Sookie."_ She glanced at me in her anger. She wanted to. Her chest was heaving, her eyes were flashing. She wanted to kick Victor's ass. She ran back in front of me and put her arms out when Victor tossed his stake up in the air and caught it.

"I have to say, this is not how I thought this was going to go." Victor said pleasantly. "It won't be _too_ big of a variation as Eric will still end up dead, but _how_ did you get in here during the day?"

"Go to hell!" Sookie yelled.

"Oh, there is no doubt I'll eventually end up there." Victor chuckled. "You were not here at dawn though, Eric, I would have known it. So you got in during the day. The security cameras will reveal how you entered the building undetected, but how were you even strong enough to move this much?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I growled. Pam was closer now. I couldn't feel her as strongly as I used to be able to, but I was pretty sure she was in the building now. I hoped at least she was spared from witnessing this, since it was apparent that Victor was going to make Sookie watch every second of it.

He stepped closer to her and she stepped back to me in response. Her back pressed up against my chest. _"Don't get yourself killed for me, lover."_

"Shut up." She muttered. Victor arched a single eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" Victor responded politely. "Were you speaking to me?"

"No, I was talking to Eric."

"A bit of a delayed response." He noted. "Unless…unless you were perhaps answering something from his mind? Am I right? Was Barry right about your talents? He said he heard in your mind that you'd heard vampires before. I'm sorry to say, he was not a very good friend to you. What's it like, Eric, to have her rooting around in there? I must admit, I'm a little nervous about her knowing more of my secrets than I intend her to, but I think the end results will outweigh that risk."

"I will _never_ stay with you."

"You won't have a choice if I am your maker."

"I'll run out into the sun the first chance I get."

"Eric ran out into the sun today and infiltrated my home. I think some advancements have been made in that area."

"Why can't you just let Eric do it then?"

"Because he'll be dead, my dear." Victor said pleasantly, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "You have a blood bond with him. We don't know how that will reconcile itself with the call of your maker. I won't have my child conflicted like that."

"If I can't kill myself, someone else will do it for me." She was confident in that. I couldn't think of anyone that would want to do it. Bill wouldn't; Pam wouldn't; and I'll apparently be dead. Maybe if she somehow found her way to the Fellowship…

Victor dropped the stake and rushed into Sookie's face, fangs out, hissing as he stroked the column of her neck.

"You'll never get away with it." I threatened. "The king knows we're here. You'll pay dearly for it. He has promised Sookie his protection."

"The King of Nevada no longer has authority here. Louisiana is its own sovereignty again and with the ability to know vampire thoughts, no one will be able to take it from me. No one will ever be able to take me by surprise. And even if I _did_ still recognize Felipe's rule, the king ordered I kill you, Eric."

"You're lying. Felipe didn't order this." Sookie said quietly.

"How do you _know_, Sookie?" Victor said. "Did you get that from the king's thoughts or mine?"

"You're a terrible liar."

"Oh no, my dear, I'm an excellent liar."

He yanked Sookie away. She struggled, but was no match for his strength.

"I will kill you for this." I promised Victor.

"You are being staked next."

"Don't you touch him!" Sookie demanded. She was desperately struggling to break free. Her eyes were wild running over the basement looking for anything that might help us. But there was nothing.

"NO!" I roared as he bit into Sookie's neck. She screamed and screamed. I felt her pain and terror. If it wasn't for the chains, I would have fallen to the floor. Her screams became whimpers as the life drained out of her. "PAM!" I yelled. I called to her through my blood. She was somewhere in this building. I pleaded with Victor but in his blood lust, he never would have heard me, or cared if he did. He was draining my love right before my eyes.

"God fucking dammit!" Amelia came bounding down the stairs next. The cavalry was here.

Victor stood and dropped Sookie's lifeless body to the floor. "She was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. What _is_ she?" He looked over at me in wonder.

"Near dead." I gasped. There was nearly nothing left of the bond. Oh God, oh God. No, I had to focus. Victor had no interest in killing her; he wanted to turn her. There was still time to save her.

"What have you done to her?" Amelia shrieked.

"I'm giving her the ultimate gift." Victor said. "She will be my child and I will have something no other vampire in the _world_ has."

"You're not giving her shit." Amelia hissed and hurled a fireball right at Victor's feet. He went up like Roman candle.

"Amelia!" I shouted and she ran across the basement to me as Victor screamed in the background. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"Tied up. Literally. Pam freed me. She's got a real dog fight up there, no pun intended. The king just got here and he is _pissed_." She explained hastily. She assessed my situation quickly, held out her hand, muttered a spell and the chains split apart.

I staggered at first. I was much weaker than I thought. The chains were literally holding me up. I stumbled over to the stake Victor intended to kill me with as Pam ran down the stairs. I rose up on unsteady legs and with what remaining strength I had left, plunged the stake into Victor's burning heart. Amelia's eyes went wide as she watched the burning vampire disintegrate in a mass of blood and fire. What a way to go.

I collapsed next to Sookie and pulled her into my arms. _"Sookie, my love. Sookie!"_ Her eyelids fluttered but never opened. She was too close to the end. Soon the only thing left would be the spark and then I had a decision to make. She couldn't die now. We weren't done with our argument on this subject. She could not leave me to make this decision now on my own.

Dr. Ludwig appeared on the other side. "There is not enough time to get her human blood. If she takes vampire blood now, it will turn her."

"Then fucking turn her Eric!" Pam insisted. "Bring her over. If you're too chicken shit, I _will_."

I hugged Sookie to my chest, blood tears running down my face. _"What do I do, lover, what do I do? I can't lose you yet; I'm not ready."_

Sookie's hand came up to my face, her eyes opened just slightly. "I love you."

"Don't say goodbye!" I yelled and shook her. "Don't you _dare_ say goodbye."

"Eric!" Pam called dropping down next to me. "Bring. Her. Over."

I raised my wrist to my mouth. I would not lose her now. I haven't had enough time with her.

"Eric, no!" Called a new voice. "It's not what she wants!"

Bill Compton was here.


	18. Chapter 18

18.

**A/N: Bill not be there when Sookie needed him? I may be Team Eric, but that's just not Bill! I'm not a Bill hater. He redeemed himself as far as I'm concerned, not enough to get the girl back, but to prove that she can depend on him as a friend. He's kind of on the same level as Sam to me now.**

**~Eric~**

Bill's voice immediately preceded two popping noises announcing the arrival of Claude and Dermot. Two fairies popping into a vampire king's residence after sundown, I told you fairies were fucked up in the head.

"Niece!" Dermot called out appalled. "What the hell happened to her?"

"Victor started the transformation process." I said, mostly into Sookie's hair.

"She needs blood." Amelia said needlessly to the two fairies. "Vampire blood will turn her."

"She needs fae blood." Claude said with a nod. "Dr. Ludwig, start with me; I am full fae. Dermot will give you the rest."

"All vampires leave now." Dr. Ludwig ordered. "They will not be able to resist the call of exposed fairy blood." Pam ran to the stairs, but Bill backed away slowly. I assumed he didn't want to leave until he knew this was going to work. "You too, vampire." Dr. Ludwig nudged me with her foot.

"I am not leaving her." I hissed.

"There are two fae here." Dr. Ludwig reminded me, as if I needed it. "Once their blood is in her, you won't be able to be near her."

"I. AM. NOT. LEAVING. HER!"

"Let him stay." Announced a new voice. Bill and Pam knelt before Felipe de Castro, who was followed by Quinn. "He is too weak to fight fae. Pam, Bill, you will go upstairs now. Bill, you are to be commended for bringing the fae. Quinn will stay and handle Eric if he gets out of hand."

"Sam." I said, breathless and satisfied with the king's edict. "He's been tranquilized."

"Bring him up with you. I will tend to the shifter next." Dr. Ludwig ordered and Pam lifted Sam and ran upstairs, followed by Felipe and Bill. Amelia stayed behind.

Sookie began to seize in my arms. "What are you waiting for!"

Dr. Ludwig was swift. She hooked Claude up to a tubing contraption, injected the needle into Sookie's convulsing arm and set the flow at a safe level. The fresh scent of full fae washed over me. It was intoxicating, but I was too weak and torn with grief to want to do anything about it. Everyone eyed me warily. If there was any reason this wouldn't work, it was because of me losing control.

But that wasn't going to happen. First of all, I was too weak; secondly, I was too focused on saving Sookie.

"It's working." I said as I felt Sookie's strength returning. Her skin was losing that ghostly gray.

"Of course it's working." Claude snapped. "And you stay the fuck away from her until Dr. Ludwig tells you it's safe again. Fairies don't give blood. You're not going to fuck all this up by draining her next week." I hissed back at him. He was right, even if I was anxious to restore the bond to its full strength, she would be full of fairy blood and I would be extremely dangerous to her.

There was silence in the basement. When Claude gave enough, Dr. Ludwig switched to Dermot. "After this, she'll need the sun," he said.

"It won't be up for hours." I said hoarsely.

"She can rest upstairs until then." Dr. Ludwig said. "Then she should spend the day outside in the sun, if that is what the fae believe."

"She is sky fae." Dermot told Dr. Ludwig. "The sun will heal her faster." Well, no, the vampire blood I was going to sneak her later was going to heel her the fastest.

"I would like you two to come see me next." Dr. Ludwig said to Dermot and Claude. "With your permission, I would like to get a blood sample from you. I believe once Sookie recovers from this, she will have a very long lifespan."

"Long?" I blinked, looking away from Sookie's face up to Dr. Ludwig's…not that I had far to look. "What do you mean _long_? Like how long?"

"Well, no one can say exactly. I have not encountered much of her kind. Fairies are very private and don't tend to like to participate in supernatural science." 

"I can't imagine why." Claude sneered.

"But," Dr. Ludwig ignored Claude and continued. "Given the very slow rate Sookie is aging now and after studying her DNA makeup, I believe she's got a few centuries to live."

That couldn't possibly be right. _"Centuries_?" I asked incredulously. "You mean as in two or three hundred years?"

"About that, yes. I could not be positive of course." She shrugged. Sure, but at worst that's still about 150 years more than I thought she had left. "But if I were able to study the blood of a full fae and a half-fae and the rate _they_ were aging, I would be able to know better. After all, _if they can't return to their homeland _someone has to look out for them."

Well, that was playing dirty. Dr. Ludwig's stock just went up in my book.

"We will cooperate." Dermot nodded.

"What!" Claude shrieked. "Speak for yourself."

"I speak for both of us." Dermot replied, glaring at Claude. "It is what the prince would want. He would want to know that his kin is all right."

"And who has to be the one to call him and tell him about this? Not you."

"You will do it." Dermot nodded confidently. "You love your cousin more than you will admit even to yourself."

Claude sulked. "If you are done with me _for now_, I would like to leave. I have a business in Monroe to get back to and I wouldn't spend any more time in a vampire's lair than absolutely necessary."

"I am finished with you for now." Dr. Ludwig dismissed him and unhooked Dermot.

"Do not linger, uncle." Claude said and then popped out of the basement.

"I will contact you." Dermot promised Dr. Ludwig. He laid a hand gently on Sookie's head. He didn't smile, but I could see affection in his eyes. He looked so much like her brother Jason. When he looked at me though, his eyes hardened. "Do not kill her. Niall will hear about it and may your gods help you when he does."

"She is safe with me." I assured him.

"I believe that." Then he too popped out of the basement.

"Can we _please _get her the fuck out of here now?" I demanded.

"Yes," Dr. Ludwig said. "We will bring her upstairs."

"Eric," Amelia said stepping forward and putting her hand on my shoulder. "Let Quinn carry her. It's a few flights up. You need to feed."

"Are you finally offering yourself, witch?" I smirked.

"Dream on, big guy." She rolled her eyes. "You can duck into that lounge on the way up while Dr. Ludwig gets Sookie settled. I think they're still picking pieces of Rhiannon's brain out of the bookcase though."

"We're guests of the king's now, Amelia. Someone will bring me blood." I assured her.

Quinn crouched down next to us. He didn't say a word. I was reluctant to admit that Amelia might be right. Before I relinquished Sookie into Quinn's arms, I bent down and kissed her forehead. She smelled beautiful, like Sookie times three. Resisting her was not going to be easy.

I slid her from my arms into Quinn's and he stood effortlessly. Great. Now she was going to smell like _shifter_.

"Eric, are the fairies still down there?" Pam called from the top of the stairs.

"Just mine." I replied. I stood up, with Amelia's assistance. I pressed my palm to my forehead in an effort to steady myself. Pam appeared at my side and braced my weight.

"Mmmm…she smells good." Pam licked her lips.

"If I can't have her, neither can you."

"There is a room prepared for you. There is blood in there. Hopefully there is also a change of clothes. You smell like death warmed over."

"Not yet it hasn't."

**~Sookie~**

The first thing I felt before I opened my eyes was the wonderful warmth of the sun on me; the second was a big weight on my stomach. When I tried to shift, it didn't move.

I opened my eyes. I was in the king's courtyard on a lounge chair. It was very peaceful here. I had only ever seen it at night.

I looked down and a large cloaked body was sprawled across me. I yelped and the cloaked figure's head popped up from where it was resting on my bare stomach. It was Eric. At least, I think it was Eric.

He was out in the sunlight? Was I dreaming? He looked terrible and at the same time, was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

"You're alive." I croaked.

"Yes. As are you."

"What are you doing outside?"

"Dermot said you needed sun."

"Uncle Dermot?"

"Victor drained you. You got blood from Claude and Dermot."

"Not you?"

"Not yet. If you had vampire blood, it would have turned you. Sookie, I almost brought you over. If Bill hadn't shown up with the fae, I would have. I was not prepared to lose you."

I tried to take that in, but there were too many other things to talk about to pay that much mind to it yet. We'd talk about that one later.

"You're outside during the day." I said in awe. I slid my hand under the hood of the cloak and stroked his face. "Are you all right? Are you uncomfortable?"

"It's worth it." He whispered.

"I don't remember anything after Victor came downstairs. Is he dead?"

"Oh yes. Amelia lit him on fire and I staked him."

"Amelia's all right?"

"And Sam, Pam and Alcide. They lost one of their pack though. Alcide took Sam back to Bon Temps."

I stroked his cheek with my thumb. "We should go in."

"You should stay out a little longer."

"Eric…"

"I'll be all right." He assured me. "It's hot and uncomfortable, but I'm not ready to leave your side yet. Don't you want to be outside with me in the daytime?"

"It's what I've dreamed of." I whispered. I wiped away the tear that ran down my cheek. It was silly to get emotional, but…well, there he was, outside in the daylight and he wasn't on fire.

The door opened and Quinn came out. "All right, vampire, she's awake. You should really go in now. I'll stay with her."

"No." Eric said simply.

"You're freaking out all the humans inside."

"I don't particularly give a shit."

"The king has many things to discuss with you when he wakes up and he would appreciate it if you were coherent enough to have a conversation with him." Quinn said between his teeth.

He was not at all happy about the development of Eric being able to be outside in the daytime. That was one of his big arguments to me on why Eric and I shouldn't be together. He couldn't come out during the daytime and couldn't give me children. Of course, I never had planned on having children because I didn't want to chance passing along my telepathy to a child, but Quinn and I never got to that kind of discussion stage, so he just assumed since I was female, I wanted children. However, with Eric and Amelia's little invention here, it was a whole new ballgame in the vampire world.

"And did His Majesty ask you to put it to me just like, messenger boy?" Eric hissed back.

"Okay, all right." I halted holding out my hands and sitting up. "Back to your corners. Quinn, we'll be in in a few minutes." I held up my hand to Eric to stop his objections. "I feel good. I've had plenty of sun and you know me, I'll get plenty more. I'm sure once we're back in Shreveport, Dermot will take care of it." I shooed Quinn away with my hands and after he had disappeared back inside I turned back to Eric. "I think the sun makes you cranky."

"No, my wife hovering on the brink of death has made me cranky." He shot back. "Though this thing is hotter than hell."

"We're going to go inside, but there was just one thing I wanted to do before we went back in." I stood up and pulled him to his feet with me.

"And what's that, lover?"

I stepped into him under the cloak and wrapped my arms around his waist, then finally hugged him in the sunlight.


	19. Chapter 19

19.

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in an update. 1) I accidentally deleted my current draft from my computer and had to recreate it. 2) I'm working on a new story in the True Blood universe called "As Good As Dead." In a nutshell, Eric finds out about QSA's plan to procure Sookie **_**before**_** Bill gets to Bon Temps. I really only set it in the True Blood universe so I could poach some characters from the show that I want to use.**

**~Eric~**

Dead or alive, nothing relaxes the muscles and rejuvenates the mind like a nice hot bath.

"Hey, cowboy, mind if I join you?"

Correction: a nice hot bath with a very sexy companion.

"Never." I open my eyes and smiled lazily up at her.

She dropped the robe she was wearing and settled into the water with me. I was immediately overwhelmed by the stimulating scent of wet fairy. Sookie reacted immediately to my fangs running out. She sat up and looked around frantically on alert.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, lover, you just smell amazing." I pulled her back against me and inhaled deeply. I was going to have to get used to it if I wanted to be around her at all. It would be a few weeks before her body replaced Claude and Dermot's blood with her own.

"Are you going to be all right?"

"We'll see."

"Well, that wasn't reassuring." She muttered.

"How do you feel?" I asked, pushing her hair back away from her face. She shrugged and looked down. I hooked my finger under her chin and raised her face to meet my eyes.

"It's gone, isn't it?" she whispered.

"What?"

"The bond. I don't feel it. I feel…empty and lonely."

"It's not gone. I feel it. It's very weak though. When you're recovered from this, we'll make it stronger again, if that's what you want."

"Why wouldn't I want that?"

"You didn't want it in the first place." I reminded her.

"No, then I didn't." she said. "But since then, I don't know, it's become a part of me and it feels strange to be without it. I don't feel like I have you."

"You do; I'm right here." I assured her, kissing her shoulder. "But this is really an opportunity for you, lover."

"How?"

"You have a chance to evaluate your feelings for me without the bond clouding your perception."

Silence.

Not a good sign.

"And why," she seethed, dropping her voice. "would you think I needed to do _that_?"

I actually gulped. She was incredibly angry, and this time it was at _me_. "You have always questioned how genuine your feelings were for me."

"No, not for some time I haven't." She continued. The anger seemed to fall away though and was replaced by fear. Curious. "Why would you say that, Eric? Is that – is that what _you're _doing? Do you think that's all we have?"

"No!" I said quickly to reassure her. "No, my love, I'm not doing that at all. I have always been more sure of what I feel for you than you have. You have been afraid that your feelings for me weren't your own."

"And. I. Got. Over. It." She was back to being mad. That was actually a good thing. You listen to me, buddy," She started poking me in the chest. "I love you. At the moment, I'm questioning how that's possible with you being such a jackass, but I do. I was prepared to let you turn me to save you. It wasn't because of some freaky fluke of vampire science."

"About that," I began. I mean, as long as she was mad…

"Yes, I know. You almost did bring me over. But you didn't, Eric. You stopped yourself."

"Only because Bill showed up with the fae. If he didn't, Sookie, you'd be going through the transformation now and I wouldn't be sorry about it. As it turns out though, we can postpone this argument for a little while."

"You don't have as long to do that as you think."

"You have longer than you think." I countered.

"What does that mean?"

"Ludwig's test results. She thinks you've got a few centuries before you die, if, as you said, you don't get picked off before that."

She stared at me dumbfounded. "What?"

"Fairies live for centuries. Their longevity seems to diminish a bit over generations of fairy-hybrid creations. So Dr. Ludwig seems pretty sure that though you won't live as long as Niall or Claude or even Dermot, you've still got a few centuries. Claude and Dermot have even agreed to let Dr. Ludwig study them a bit so she could get a better idea."

"Claude wouldn't agree to something like that."

"Dermot told him he had to."

"Wow," she said and sank against me a bit. "That's…a lot to take in. I'd never really thought of that before. When Felipe…oh God. Does Felipe know what happened?"

"Yes, he showed up. We're to go downstairs for something of a debriefing once you were up."

She sighed and dropped her forehead against mine. "Do you really think the danger is passed?"

"For now."

I didn't think the king posed any danger…at the moment anyway. He'll want to know precisely what happened. He said himself he wasn't interested in turning Sookie because no one could predict how she would turn out with the fae blood. I thought that was stretching it myself. I found hope in the fact that in the heat of the moment, Sookie wanted _me _to be the one to turn her. I liked that if anyone was going to be her maker, it would be me. I was surprised she would want me to have that much power over her, but then again, I wasn't about to let anyone else have _any_ power over her.

"So, now what do we do?"

"We're going to go back to Shreveport."

"Why not Bon Temps?"

"Because Fangtasia is in Shreveport."

"But my house is in Bon Temps."

Hmmm…interesting direction she is taking this conversation into. The heightened circumstances have caused her to admit to a higher level of commitment to me than she had before. I have been committed to her for much longer than she would commit to me. It was easier for me to do because I had experience with a blood bond. I could read what she felt. She couldn't hide that from me. So I could afford to wait for her to reconcile herself. Whether she liked it or not, at least before, she had to admit that in one of our worlds, we were married. It seemed that now she wasn't willing to live apart and I more than welcomed that.

"Lover, I can't move the bar." I said gently. When she looked away from me, I knew I was right and I was practically giddy over it. There were many that would not recognize the person I was with Sookie, especially when she was talking about wanting to be with me and stay with me. "But I also have the ability to fly. It does not take me as long to travel back and forth. I know you are attached to your family's house. If you want to live there, we can do that."

Her face was alight when she looked back to me and I knew I just did something right. "Really? You would really do that for me?"

"Of course, my beauty. But you will agree that we can't do that right away, right? It needs extensive renovation."

"Renovation?" She sounded horrified.

"Restoration?" I quickly amended. She probably thought of all sorts of crazy modern upgrades when she heard the word 'renovation.' "You can't deny that it needs things repaired, lover. And I refuse to spend every day in the hidey hole. I'd want us to have a light tight bedroom."

"You've been itching for an opportunity to do this, haven't you?"

I shrugged. Yes, of course. She went without air conditioning in Louisiana, for God's sake. Not that it bothered me, but in this region, air conditioning for a human was a necessity and not a luxury. Not to mention, I was very much putting in a new entertainment system, the front porch was nothing more than termites holding hands, I hadn't been in the attic, but I could pretty much guarantee the roof leaked…

"What exactly do you want to do?" she asked warily.

"Whatever Alcide says we need to." I replied. I was, quite frankly, going to let him have free reign. "And it will include a pretty complex security system like I have on my house now."

"I suppose we definitely need that." She sighed.

"Lover, you pick whatever you want. Short of the few things I require for security-" And the home theater system, "-it makes no difference to me what it all looks like. It's not going to be bulldozed to the ground; it's going to be restored. But you have to understand, that will take time."

"You really want to live with me?" She smiled at me tentatively. She really was a darling.

"I have been, haven't I?"

"But all Sookie all the time -"

"Is a dream come true. Don't forget, lover, I'm the one that's prepared to spend eternity with you."

"You might not think that after the first century." She said in her saucy, adorable way.

"Unlikely." I surprised her then by standing up and taking her with me. She grabbed on to my shoulders.

"What's the matter?"

"It's time to go see the king."


	20. Chapter 20

20.

**A/N: Thank you so much for indulging me, my new friends (especially as I let Eric's funny side come through. He really has some of the best one-liners in the books)! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing. (At least enough to read my next one, As Good As Dead).**

**~Sookie~**

I don't know where the dress I was wearing came from. I assumed it was Amelia's, but I don't remember ever seeing her wear it before. Anyway, it was a cute little green dress.

Eric and I walked into the main parlor of the house and were quite obviously the last ones there. Felipe, Quinn, Pam, Amelia, Bill and slew of vampires and humans I didn't know were already in there and seemed to be mingling. The vampires' reaction to me and my fairy blood was immediate as an uncomfortable amount of vampire heads turned instantly in my direction, hissing with fangs out.

Eric immediately moved us so my back was up against the wall and he was pressed in front of me, hissing in return. There was a lot of tension in this room. Bill and Pam moved to Eric's side, even though Pam didn't seem to completely reign herself in, she was at least going to give it a try.

"Ms. Broadway, Mr. Compton and Ms. DeBeauford may stay. Everyone else, leave immediately." Felipe ordered. I would have breathed a sigh of relief if any part of me were able to move right now. As much as their nature fought back, the other vampires did not defy their king and left the room, with humans in toe.

"It would be smart, Sheriff, if you didn't linger long after this meeting." Felipe replied.

"Thank you for your majesty's hospitality," Eric nodded, "but we are anxious to get back to Shreveport, for obvious reasons, of course."

"We'll try not to keep you long." Felipe said. He swept out his hand indicating we should sit down and join him. Quinn took up position at the door. "Ms. Stackhouse, are you hungry? Let's move to the dining room."

I was famished. There was a wide spread of food on the elegant dining room table. There was no way Amelia and I were going to eat all this, but I assumed the humans in residence would come in when we were finished. The king gestured for Eric to sit to his right and I sat immediately next to Eric. Amelia, I was happy to see, sat on the other side of me. Pam and Bill took places on the other side of the table.

Eric smirked when he saw how much food I immediately started loading up on my plate. My Gran would be shocked at my lack of table manners right now, however when a girl spends so much time around people that don't eat, the manners tend to fall by the wayside. Plus, nobody here cares anyway.

Crystal goblets of blood were put in front of the four vampires. I was surprised at how classy it all seemed.

"Sheriff, you've done well." Felipe complimented Eric, raising his glass to him.

"Thank you, your majesty." Eric nodded in return. "I had a good team."

"And they will be rewarded." Felipe replied. I was pretty confident in that. One good thing about Felipe over Sophie Anne was that he did reward good work. Sophie Anne just let you live. Like Eric, I admired Sophie Anne for her bravery, but I was finding myself liking Felipe more…mandatory medical testing aside, of course.

"Ms. Broadway here was telling me about your new business venture." The King continued. Eric turned and looked curiously at Amelia.

"_Were_ you?" He asked her with great interest.

"The particulars need to be ironed out, of course." She replied. I had no idea what they were talking about. The business of what? Royal hit jobs? What the hell did these two talk about?

"Imagine, going out in the daylight, every vampire's dream." Felipe said. Ah, must be the cloak then. "And you have done it now _twice_, Eric."

"It is more difficult than it looked, your majesty. I needed a near constant blood intake and it is lacking any sort of comfort level, but it got the job done. I think, with more time, Amelia will be able to deliver a superior product."

"Listen, big guy, your only requirement was to not burst into flames. I delivered." Amelia shot back.

"It's all over our news now." Felipe volunteered.

"Shit, really?" Amelia replied, then seemed to remember who she was addressing.

"Yes. Well, there was a coup attempted against a sitting sovereign that was thwarted by his loyal subject _during the day_. Naturally, it's big news. I have publicly praised you all in the vampire media."

"Thank you, sire." Eric replied. See, he was real good at all this vampire political bullshit. I realized then that I had become something of a political wife and I stifled a laugh. If the human political wives had any idea of what sort of wife _I_ was, they'd faint dead away! They think they had to navigate blood thirsty, cut throat waters. Ha!

"As I said, I reward good work. As such, I am prepared to name your progeny Ms. DeBeauford as the new sheriff of this area."

Wow. We were all stunned. It seemed none more so than Pam. Luckily, Eric recovered first.

"You will not be disappointed, your majesty." Eric replied.

"Thank you, your majesty." Pam whispered, still shell shocked. Go Pam! Pam would make a great sheriff and she loves New Orleans.

"Eric, you will liase with Sandy in your new capacity." The King continued. "And the other sheriffs will go through you." Bill looked a little surprised and I realized he probably wasn't aware of Eric's new "royal thug" title.

"Mr. Compton, Ms. Stackhouse and Ms. Broadway will receive substantial monetary compensation." Oh. Well, that was nice and unexpected. "Ms. Stackhouse will continue to receive my official protection, as now will Ms. Broadway." That was great and all, but a fat lot of good it's actually done me. The only one that's done any protecting has been Eric…well, and Bill and Pam. So, I guess it actually wasn't that bad after all.

"My father is going to _love_ that." Amelia muttered next to me. I shoved a big forkful of chicken into my mouth so I wouldn't laugh.

"Any interview requests regarding the incident will need to be cleared through my public relations office." The King went on. He certainly had a lot to talk about. "This is all very big news in our community and must be handled very carefully. I would have preferred much more to have a simple change in command -" Read that, 'just killed Victor quietly, "-rather than this, but Eric's actions are shedding light, literally, on the whole mess. Thankfully, the speculation is focusing more on the _how_ Eric did it than the _why_ Victor rebelled."

"I don't know why anyone's surprised." I piped up around a mouthful of food. "Eric can do anything." Eric smiled and in an extremely rare show of public affection, kissed me on the temple and rubbed my back. That made me wonder what happened in the basement when I was unconscious. Then again, when I woke up in the courtyard, he was outside with me and seemed unwilling to not be touching me in some way.

"Sookie's loyalty to you is very endearing, Eric." The King said. His smile seemed a little tight to me. I got the feeling that Sookie's loyalty was only endearing so long as Sookie didn't really say anything. "While the actions of Mr. Madden may have indicated otherwise, my court recognizes your marriage bond with Ms. Stackhouse and as such, will uphold the laws pertaining to it. You were perfectly within your rights to punish Mr. Madden for the threat." I was interested to see the vampire news now. Why did I get the feeling Eric was about to outed as some kind of romantic hero? He was sure to hate that. But then again, if that were to happen, he wouldn't be afforded the same fear as the king's thug would need. Did he have an actual title now other than 'The King's Most Bad Ass Sheriff?'

I pushed my plate away. I had eaten quickly and now I was full. That and I was very much ready to leave New Orleans.

The King, thankfully, was an astute individual and took my gesture as me being ready for departure. And given my very tasty fairy scent, he seemed to be likewise ready for me to leave.

"A car will take you back to Shreveport, Eric." Felipe rose and everyone around the table rose with him. "I would like to speak with Ms. DeBeauford a bit more, as well as Mr. Compton and Ms. Broadway. We'll be in touch if we need anything further from you regarding this incident."

Already it was downgraded to an 'incident.' "I am at your disposal, your majesty." Eric nodded. I noticed immediately he did not say 'we' were at his disposal. Yes, even the King was going to be required to go through Eric to get to me. I was just fine with that.

**~Eric~**

Sookie stayed curled up against me on the ride from New Orleans to Shreveport. Felipe thankfully enlisted a Were to drive us. I wasn't looking forward to a vampire escort given the reaction everyone had to her earlier. This also meant that she shouldn't come around Fangtasia any time soon and that was really going to suck for me.

"What do you think of Pam being made Sheriff?" she asked.

"I was surprised, but she is up to it." When I first heard it, I hated the idea. I had been feeling pretty territorial lately with all the trouble surrounding Sookie and it immediately overflowed to my child. She was _my_ child. I should be the one that decided whether or not she was ready to move on.

And if I stepped outside myself for a moment, I could see that she was. Not only that, but as soon as Felipe said it, I felt from her that she wanted it. And I had to grudgingly admit that I tended to give Pam what she wanted. It was just easier that way.

"She won't be far. It could be worse. He could have sent her to Arkansas or Nevada." Sookie said softly. I realized that she was attempting to comfort both of us there. Pam and Sookie were quite fond of each other. I saw quite a few trips to New Orleans in the future for my wife.

"It does leave me a little short handed though." Pam would think of that though for the transition and make sure someone competent was put into place.

"We'll manage."

Well, I wasn't expecting that. "We will, will _we_?"

She sat up and looked at me, her eyes wide and curious. "Well, sure. Right? I could help you with that. I know how to run a bar. Or do you not want that?"

"I would like that very much, lover. There are things to consider."

"For instance?"

"Is there enough human interaction there for you? You've said if you weren't around humans for an extended amount of time that it was difficult when you returned."

She smiled and kissed my cheek. "It's very sweet of you to think of something like that. Yes, there is enough human interaction there for me. And maybe if I'm there, you won't need the perky, pretty Marcy."

Ah, look at Sookie's jealous side coming out. I liked it.

"Perky, pretty Marcy has not passed the Sookie test yet."

"The Sookie test?"

"All potential employees are subject to final approval by you."

"When did that start?"

"When you were attacked in Las Vegas."

"You're going to try this with vampires, too?"

"Yes, though they won't know you were doing it."

"What were your other concerns?" She asked snuggling back down to my side. She wrapped her arms around my waist and dropped her head to my shoulder.

"Sookie, if Dr. Ludwig is right, and I have every confidence that she is, after a while, people will begin to wonder why you aren't aging like everyone else. There is a very small amount of people who know the truth of what you are. I would prefer no one else ever find out. If you were with me, in my environment, people would be less likely to wonder so much."

"One of my concerns about not being turned was outliving everyone I knew." She said quietly as the enormity of her new situation began to sink in. She was now going to be put in that position anyway. "I would be able to still see Sam and Jason."

"Yes, of course. The supernatural community wouldn't need an explanation. Jason knows what you are, but Sam does not."

"They might all just assume it's your fault."

"They might." I chuckled. "I will happily take the blame."

Sookie yawned into my shoulder in a very un-ladylike way. I began to stroke her hair and continued until well beyond the point that her breathing evened out and I knew she was asleep. She began to slump forward, so I eased her down until her head was in my lap. Now my fingers trailed from the top of her head, down her neck, over her shoulder, down her side and along the flare of her hip, then repeated themselves over and over.

I liked watching her sleep. She was beautiful doing anything, but especially more so during times of suspended consciousness. I didn't know what she dreamed of. A part of me always hoped it was me, but her dreams were her own. I liked how peaceful and innocent she looked. I liked using this quiet time to reflect on how far she and I have come.

I often thought about the night we met and how utterly far off my first impression of her really was. I was typically good at reading people, but I've got nothing on her. Then again, her first impression of me was likewise wrong; but that was because I was intentionally giving her a certain image and idea of me. I often wondered what she saw in me. When did she start seeing any of the good that I tried so hard and in vain to hide from her? Who was this girl who had strolled into my life and toppled it over?

I ran through all the things I had done right for her and all the things I had done wrong. Admittedly, I could have handled the tiger better but that whole affair made me crazy. She _should_ have been with me then. She would have been had I shown any kind of acknowledgement or respect for what had happened between us when I was cursed. Once I remembered though and she knew it, _her _carefully crafted façade fell.

She haunted my dreams and my reality. She never seemed to realize that some of her words just cut right through me to the core. And if she did, she didn't realize I was so affected by them. Not until I allowed her to anyway.

Just her very nature challenged me. The fact that I couldn't glamour her into giving me what I wanted meant I had to get it by more honorable methods. Of course, that wasn't always the case. I was elated when she dumped Bill in Jackson and should have killed him for breaking her heart in New Orleans. Of course, it was at my order, so he didn't have a choice, but once I found out he'd lied to her, _I _couldn't look her in the eye and I would be damned, no pun intended, if I was going to let Bill's fuck up affect my chances. I would not have that kind of secret from her.

History was jammed packed with lovers parted for stupid reasons. There were tragic endings everywhere. I wondered what it would say about us. The Beauty and the Beast has been told. And I wasn't ugly anyway. Love had changed me in a way I never thought possible. It had softened my edges, mostly. I wasn't tripping the light fantastic through life or anything. I was as ruthless as ever. But there was one person I could escape it to. One person that through all my fantasizing I never really allowed myself to believe she would be willingly mine.

And she is. The blood bond was not influencing her now. It wasn't really influencing either one of us now. I wanted to change that as soon as it was safe. I liked how she could sooth me without being in the room. But not feeling me so strongly was allowing her to rely on what _she _felt more strongly and boosting her confidence in us.

That she could look at a monster and still see good, still see me could warm my cold dead heart. We were the two most unlikely people in the world to fall in love, against impossible odds, constant struggle and danger, unfavorable outside influences and the pure inability to live without each other. All that made us the greatest love story that would ever be told as far as I was concerned.

I continued to stroke her silky sun-kissed hair until we pulled into the driveway of the house in Shreveport. I leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"_Wake up, my lover."_

Her eyes fluttered opened and fell on mine filled with sleep and contentment.

"Where are we?"

I smiled down at her and something in me swelled.

"Home."

**~THE END~**


End file.
